Free Falling
by ahmandie
Summary: Loki x Lucy. Lucy feels like she's falling...for none other than her stellar spirit, Leo. Nah, he can't be "the one." They're partners, after all! Loki, on the other hand, seems awfully determined to make it so. A story of not so unrequited love.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail, how I do not own thee...

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Free Falling

by ahmandie

Chapter 1

Lucy pushed open the heavy, double doors of the guild room and peeked inside. Yes! It was empty! She gleefully snuck inside, shutting the doors behind her. It was just before 8 in the morning and Mira would be posting the new jobs soon. Thankfully, the rest of her guild mates wouldn't get up for another hour or so and losing a couple hours of sleep was well worth it, in Lucy's opinion, to get first crack at the best assignments.

Slinging her messenger bag onto the counter, she took a seat at the bar and pulled out an orange, just as Mira shuffled in from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Lucy," Mira yawned, taking a sip from coffee mug, "You're up early today." Normally, Mira was the first of the guild who was up and about.

"Morning!" said Lucy, peeling her breakfast, "It actually feels nice to be awake this early. Maybe I'll do it more often."

"If you wake up early enough, you should join me for sunrise yoga! It does wonders for my control and concentration."

"Uh, maybe if you have sunset yoga. Sunrise is a bit too early for me," Lucy said.

Giggling, Mira collected the peel and put down her mug. She opened a locked drawer from behind the bar and pulled out a big stack of papers. "Aww, you should come. Its fun. But hold on, I've got to put up today's listings."

Lucy eagerly followed Mira to the board, where she posted the jobs in order of increasing difficulty. Assignments were further categorized by the number of people recommended for each job. By the end of the day, only the monotonous and extremely dangerous jobs were left.

"_Personal shopper requested for busy young career-woman_," Lucy read over Mira's shoulder, "Ah! This is the one!" But before she could reach up and grab the coveted slip of paper, Mira's hand came down lightning fast, whacking her hand away.

"Guild policy is that you can have any job you want after I'm done posting all of them," said Mira, matter-of-factly as she continued to push push-pins into the battered cork. Lucy groaned, slouching down onto a nearby bench.

By the time Mira was finished, it was about 9:45...and Lucy had fallen asleep.

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up! I'm done," said Mira, shaking the younger girl's shoulder, "You can have the job slip you wanted now."

Lucy quickly jumped up, a bit groggy. She wobbled over to the job board, but before she could tug the assignment down, she was hit by a sudden onslaught of NOISE. She wobbled even more, caught off guard as she was quickly surrounded by a a flurry of hands, snatching random pieces of paper from the board.

By the time she had caught her balance again, the crowd had quickly dissipated just as fast as it had begun. There were only a few sad-looking slips of paper left on the very top and the very bottom. Lucy groaned and returned to the bar, collapsing onto her bar stool. She had some time to pick from the sorry picks that were left--they weren't going anywhere.

Someone took a seat next to Lucy, her armor clinking gently as she sat down. "Morning! Wear you able to get a job, Lucy?" asked Erza, smoothing out a wrinkled sheet on the counter.

"Nooooo," Lucy wailed, "I was just about to grab one and BAM. It was like the whole guild was at the board!"

Erza nodded. "Yes, I had to steal this slip from a fellow who had two. I haven't even had the chance to read it yet."

"Really? Maybe you got a monster slaying assignment," suggested Lucy. She thought back, when she first met Erza. The giant horn that Erza had brought back was still displayed in the building, somewhere.

"Hmm, lets see. _Personal shopper requested_..." Erza nodded, a radiant smile on her face. "It is different than my usual assignments...and it sounds like fun. I accept!"

"Oh, that's...nice," Lucy mumbled. Drat.

"Well anyway, I must be off, "said Erza, standing up, "Gray and Natsu asked me to help prep them for their mission. They received an elaborate pirate assignment and they're in need of a good sword or two."

"Whaaat? Even they got jobs?" Lucy complained, thinking of the early morning scuffle, "But usually, they don't wake up till noon!"

"Strength! You gotta be strong 'n pillagel 'em loot!" shouted a passing Natsu, a raggedy captain's jacket draped over his shoulders, "Avast!"

"So instead of waking up early...you two just _stole_ jobs from people?" assumed Lucy, wrinkling her nose.

"Aye!" agreed Grey, shirtless (of course) but wearing an eye-patch, "To celebrate our bounty, matey, we best be going to drink some rum!"

And with either an "Arrrrrrg" or a "Yo-ho-ho," the two of them headed off with Erza in tow to practice their sea dog swag. Natsu hung back for a second, patting Lucy's shoulder before he disappeared after his first mate. "Better luck next time, lassie!"

"I'm so jealous," Lucy mumbled, her elbows on the counter before her. With one hand she impatiently rapped her knuckles on the table. With the other, she propped up her head and frowned. She didn't feel left out...ah well, maybe just a little. But a solo job would be good for her! It would sharpen up her skills AND she wouldn't have to split the "bounty"...if only she could get a job. Bah.

Suddenly, a cuff-linked hand reached around her, placing a sheet of thick parchment on the counter. "Beautiful, I think you might have missed this one," said a smooth voice in Lucy's ear.

She was taken aback by surprise, unintentionally leaning back into the lean frame of the man standing behind her. "Oh! Loki, its you," she gasped, one hand over her heart, "You scared me."

Loki just gave her a wry grin, perching on an adjacent stool. "So? What do you think?"

Lucy picked up the paper he had put in front of her. Hmm, she could have sworn that she'd seen this posting at the very top of the board...

"Bounty mission: apprehend informant--Loki, I can't do this! It's an A-ranked job!" she protested, pointing at the large A prominently displayed in the top right corner. Heck, the large reward made reg flags go off like mad in Lucy's mind. Not only was it way above her usual job ranking, the description even said that that there was a bonus involved. This informant must be very important for there to be both a bounty AND a bonus on his head.

He chuckled, slipping one hand under her chin, which she quickly blushed and slapped away. "You're so cute!" he gushed, a big smile on his face before he got back to business, tapping at the location listed. "I know this area pretty well and between me and you, I figure we've got a shot."

"Wait, wait, you...and me? As in we do this job together...just the two of us?" Lucy asked nervously, "No one else?"

"Well, yeah," said Loki, waving a hand in the air, "We'd be partners on this one. And I don't see the rest of your super ultimate awesome team, or whatever you call yourselves."

"...true," said Lucy, crossing her arms. If she worked with Loki, although they would be partners, she wouldn't have to share the reward with him! He was a stellar spirit, after all. He didn't seem to have any worldly possessions. Even his designer suits and sunglasses were of the spirit world. That meant almost all of the reward could go to rent...and perhaps a new pair of shoes. Lucy smiled a very big grin.

"And, and, it would give the two of us some much needed time together," he said, putting much emphasis on the end of the sentence as he leaned forward. Lucy noticed that he was awfully close, so close that she could smell the faint cologne of his skin. Her breath caught in her throat as she expected him to do what he always did--try to kiss her. But instead, he pulled back, winking through his dark glasses.

Lucy quickly stared at the description again, just for something to do and to distract him from noticing her red cheeks. _Hmph, what a tease_. That Loki always seemed to know what to do to make her heart race.

"So...is that a yes?" Loki waved his hand in front of Lucy's face.

She hesitated, priorities shuffling in her mind. Images flashed before her eyes: the rent check, Loki's smile, the orange she had for breakfast, Natsu and Grey in pirate garb, and perhaps brightest of all, those shoes! "Alright, we'll see how this works out," she managed to say while trying to decide on which outfit would go best with her future purchase.

"Great!" Loki grinned, vaulting up from his seat and straightening his tie. "I'll pick you up at your place at 10." Before he vanished into a puff of smoke, he gave Lucy a peck on the cheek. "See you then."

"Hey!" she grumbled, her cheeks burning as she waved her hands to clear the smoke, "Stop making it seem like something its not." Bah, this mission with Loki was already sounding like more trouble then it was worth. She stuffed the job slip into her pocket, but right before she had picked up her bag to leave, she felt a number of eyes on her. Slowly, she turned and instantly groaned. Her arrangement making with Loki had had an audience.

"Ooooh, Lucy, a daaate! With Loki? It's about time!" crooned Happy, his hands waving happily in the air as he ate from a ceramic, fish-shaped plate.

He was sitting on the counter next to Mira, who had apparently heard and seen the entire thing. "You two make a good match!" she assessed, showing her approval with a thumbs up.

"Oh, shut up! It's not a date," Lucy blankly stated, "It's just a mission."

"But it's just the twoooo of youuu," Happy sang in sing-song, his mouth half stuffed with fish, "All alone, aww have fun."

"Yes, you two be good now," said Mira, while sternly nodding her head. Suddenly, with a knowing smile on her face, she winked! Lucy tried very hard not to curl up into a ball and die.

"Bye, Happy, Mira," said a very mortified Lucy, "I'll be going now." She quickly high-tailed it to the heavy doors before the news could travel to Natsu and Grey. Oh. Em. Gee, if those two found out, she would never live it down...But, this was Fairy Tail, after all. Gossip spreads faster then a cheetah with its tail on fire. As Lucy was shoving the doors shut, she heard someone yell through the doors, "LUCY'S GOING ON A DATE?!"

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Lucy breathed hard as adrenaline pumped through her veins. She raced down the run-down alleyway of this ghost town, her whip in her hand at the ready.

So far, the job description had been absolutely accurate. She had found the informant at his usual haunt: a "buy-me-drinky" bar full of old men trying to take home skinny young girls. Once the criminal had seen the guild tattoo on her hand, he had fled into the alley and Lucy had raced out after him.

She banked a hard right, bright red sneakers squeaking as she sprinted after her catch. The greasy man was running blindly, quite aware that his pursuer was gaining on him, but also unaware that he was running into a trap. Suddenly, after a wrong turn, he skidded to a stop before hitting the brick wall--a dead end.

"Nowhere left to run," said Lucy, stretching the leather of her whip taunt, "So you'd better come with me. I don't want any trouble."

The delinquent sneered, pulling out an ivory pistol from inside his shirt. "Oh, please. Do you think that me, the Great Manero, is gonna go with _you_? Well maybe, you're kinda cute. Heh."

"One last chance," said Lucy, ignoring his words and narrowing the gap between them,"Cooperate with me and I promise you won't get hurt."

The Great Manero spat on the ground. "Go home, little girl, I've got places to be."

Lucy's eyes narrowed, but she didn't back down. Manero scowled, raising his gun until it was aimed at her heart. But before his finger could get anywhere near the trigger, a leather shoe slammed straight into his face, breaking his nose.

Manero cried out, dropping his weapon as Lucy snapped her whip around his neck. In a flash of gold, Loki had tripped the man and tied his arms and legs together.

"Never point anything at my lady," said Loki when he was finished, turning the villain's head side to side with the end of his shoe. Blood flowed freely from Manero's nose, and his eyes were glassy. He would also have a very large black eye the next day, but he should be thankful that he was still alive.

"Thanks, Loki," said Lucy, coiling her whip to her belt as she sighed in relief.

"No problem!" Loki flashed her a victory sign and tried to glomp her, which Lucy deftly avoided. She was getting rather good at avoiding his advances lately.

"Hmm, catching him was simple enough," Lucy said, taking hold of one of the ropes, "I wonder why this job was ranked so high?"

Suddenly, loud clomping noises filled the alley. The narrow passage was now full of three young men, who all looked rather pissed that their master had been caught. Blue bolts of pure electricity crackled between them as they flashed their muscles and their iron knuckles--it seemed that they were skilled with electric fighting style magic.

"Oh, probably because of them," said Loki, nonchalantly dropping the ropes. "Excuse me, for a bit, love. I've got some work to do."

"Err, yeah. No problem," said Lucy. It was a bit awkward--it was obvious that all three of those mages were out of Lucy's range. But Loki easily strode to meet them, cutting the distance between them in half. He stopped, raising one fist to his face before calmly casting--

"Regulus."

The entire alley was awash in a bright, white light as energy pulsed through it. Lucy had to close her eyes, but she wanted to watch the blur of her spirit in motion. Loki's magic was almost like an art--beautiful to the eye and very rare to see.

Soon, the light faded and Loki stood over the crumpled bodies of the three. "See?" he said, turning to her with a large smile on his face, "Didn't I tell you it we could do it?"

"We? You practically did all the work," she huffed, dragging the main perpetrator out of the alley. Perhaps she would get a bonus on top of a bonus for turning in those three fools!

"Yeah, well you helped, you chased him down! I wouldn't have been able to corner him without you," he pointed out, the three electric mages strung out behind him like a strand of lopsided pearls.

After a couple minutes or so of debate, Lucy finally came to terms. "Alright, I'll admit it. Perhaps...we make a good team," she muttered, turning the corner. She couldn't help but smile, and soon Loki had an even bigger smile on his face.

Ah ha! The local police station, who had hired Fairy Tail for the job, was in sight. It was an imposing building, laid out in white brick and surrounded by a thick, barbed-wire fence. Bells rang as uniformed men came out of the building--they had seen the pair coming.

"See? I told you," teased Loki, gently elbowing his partner, "We should do this more often. I like spending time with you, Lucy. I luuuuuuv you."

"Ah, stop it," said Lucy, swatting away his hands.

The police chief rushed up to them, vigorously shaking their hands as other uniformed cops dragged off the informant and his men. "Oh, thank you! You don't know how long we've been trying to catch that one," he gushed, his hat nearly falling off of his head, "He was so elusive."

"It's no problem," Lucy smiled. She was glad another creep was off the streets.

He handed her a thick envelope. "I'm glad we can always count on Fairy Tail for our assignments!"

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"Well? What's the damage," asked Loki. He and his partner were on the train back to their hometown. He had been lucky enough *cough a fifty jewel bill works wonders when you want to be alone cough cough* to secure a comfy window compartment all for themselves.

"Yes! This month's rent, covered!" Lucy celebrated, holding the check high into the air. The police chief had given her a higher bonus then she had expected!

"Really? Let me see," he said, sidling up next to her. "Ah! That's fantastic."

"Err, yes." Lucy scooted closer to the window and looked out. Oh, look. A cow.

Loki seemed not to notice. He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "I had a really good time with you today, you know."

"Uh, no problem?" She mentally sighed because he was putting the moves on her, again.

"We totally have to do that again."

"Yeah. Maybe. Possibly."

Suddenly, she felt herself being pushed rather gently into the window glass. Her head was lifted upwards and she felt strong arms snake themselves around her waist, hot breath on her neck. "So, now that work is all good and done," he said rather coyly, "Do you think we've got time for--"

"Uh, Idontthinksokaybyethanksforyourhelptoday--forced dismissal!" With a poof of smoke, Loki disappeared and Lucy took a very slow and deep breath. Whoo, that was a close one. The thud of her heart beat was very loud in her ears--a reminder that her stellar spirit did _something_ to her everytime he was around. She just didn't know what.

Lucy took another deep breath, looking out the window at the rapidly changing landscape. It had transformed from rural forestland to booming metropolis almost instantly.

"No," she told herself. She refused to believe that a little fluttering of her heart meant that she could be...falling for him. For Loki! Of course he always told her that he loved her, but that was just him being him. Oh bother, could it? Nah. That feeling was just the effect of his charm. Lucy safely stuck her reward check into her purse and got off the train.

Little did she know that somewhere, in the spirit world, a certain stellar spirit was taking off his cuff-links. He automatically felt that his owner was thinking of him, wherever she was. He chuckled to himself. "Oh Lucy, you'll come around."

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**A/N**: Oh ho, is this a multi-chaptered Loki x Lucy fic? I think it might be! How do you like it, review review! :3


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Soooo," said Natsu, deliberately winking his right eye, "I heard your last mission went...," He paused for emphasis. "_...weeell._"

Lucy made a face, her cups clinking as she closed her fridge with more force then usual. "Yes. It did."

"Ah ha! You and Loki, then. I should have known." He laughed, jumping up to steal a banana before settling back on her couch. It was late on a nice, lazy Sunday with no missions on the schedule, so that left all afternoon for Natsu to needle his embarrassed teammate. "You know, Happy kept going on and on about you two, but no one believed him. Till now, heh."

A well-aimed pillow flew straight at Natsu's head, almost knocking down the glass of water he was drinking from. "Oh _please_!" Lucy protested, "Just because we did a mission together doesn't mean we're....you know. _Together_."

"Look, first me and Grey were kinda freaked out about it," said Natsu, his mouth half-full, "Cause he's a stellar spirit and all. And he must be kinda _old_."

Lucy's hands flew to her face in an expression of agony. "Natsu, please tell me we are not having this discussion."

"But, but, Erza said we should be happy for you two. And we are!" he said casually, "So the only condition we have for you two dating is--"

"_Loki and I are not dating!_"

"--that you have to make time for us too. We say that for every 4 missions you go on with him--"

"LOKI AND I ARE NOT DATING." Maybe she was speaking in a different language?

"--you go on one with us. Isn't that fair? Loki popped by the guild the other day and Erza's already OK-ed the whole thing with hi--"

"...you did..._WHAT_?!"

Without pausing to aim, Natsu chucked his banana peel at Lucy's open trash can. He fist-pumped as it landed with a satisfying thunk at the bottom. "What?" asked Natsu, feigning mock innocence, "I dunno what you're talking about."

Lucy took a deep breath as she stared bloody murder onto the pink-haired boy lounging her couch. She decided not to kill him because blood stains would be a pain to get out. ...Perhaps she should take Mira up on her darn sunrise yoga class after all. She was in dire need for some peace in her life.

"Well, its about that time," said Natsu, tapping at the imaginary watch on his wrist. He had a knack for knowing when Lucy was just about to blow her top. "I guess I'll be seeing you--"

Lucy picked up the heavy steel paperweight (in the shape of a flower) that Gazille had gotten her for Christmas, experimentally tossing it up and down in her palm.

"--later!" Fearing her deadly aim, Natsu quickly escaped out the window.

After making sure her apartment was back in order (and that all of her windows were LOCKED), Lucy threw on her favorite shorts and a t-shirt and sank onto her bed, thankful that she had splurged for the plush mattress. Ugh, that boy could eat. She swore that she must have just washed every dish and piece of cutlery that she owned.

Sighing, she rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head as a wave of weariness washed over her. Seriously! Natsu, Grey, and Erza were making things much more complicated then they actually were. In Lucy's mind, it was clear-cut and extremely obvious that she and Loki were not an "item," as Happy had so gleefully put it.

Suddenly, her stomach rumbled and she sat up. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw it was already 7:30 in the evening! With all that cleaning and reorganizing, Lucy had forgotten about dinner.

Lucy dragged herself over to her squeaky-clean kitchen. She wasn't in the mood for anything fast-food (plus, she had to save her money), and she much preferred a home-cooked meal to anything else.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, discovering about a cup of rice in her rice pot. Sure, it was uncooked, but voila! 20 minutes later and she'd have something soft and fluffy to eat. She danced a little happy dance because Natsu had told her that he'd cooked all of the rice during his ridiculous binge lunch. But now she could make fried rice...or perhaps she could just eat it with some canned tuna? There were so many choices! She pulled the rice pot out of its cooker, happily spinning with it around in a circle...until she opened her eyes and looked towards her dining room table. She stopped abruptly, almost dropping the little silver pot.

There, sitting on one of her (newly-cleaned) chairs was none other then Loki. He sat with one hand lazily propping up his chin, wearing an amused grin.

"...how long...have you been there?" Lucy asked, her eyes narrowing. She slowly hid the pot behind her back.

Loki chuckled, making a circle motion with his pointer finger. "Long enough to see that."

"Hmph. I don't know what you're talking about," she said, quickly turning around, mentally cursing herself for seeming so...

"Don't worry. I thought it was cute."

Once she was convinced that she had not turned a shade of red, Lucy spun back around, clutching her rice pot. "So, um, what brings you...here? To my kitchen?"

"Something extremely loud woke me up from my nap," he said, that amused grin still there, "It sounded just like thunder."

Lucy's eyes narrowed even more. "Shut up. I'm hungry, that's all."

"Well," said Loki, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the chair, "It was so loud, I figured I should come over and fix the problem."

"Oh, how generous of you."

"Why, yes, I think so," he grinned, disappearing behind the door of her fridge. He reappeared with an armful of ingredients and placed them all neatly by the stove.

"You're going to cook? Don't worry, I was just about to do that," said Lucy, holding up her pot.

Loki opened the cover, peering inside. "You didn't even cook the rice yet."

"I was interrupted." She tilted the pot back and forth, listening to the grains swish around in its container.

"Yeah. Right." He rummaged through her cabinets until he found a small frying pan. He put it on the stove, gesturing at the counter. "Pass the rice, Lucy, I'll make you something."

Lucy frowned. "You don't have to, I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself."

"What were you going to make? Tuna and rice?"

"For your information, I happen to like tuna and rice," she said. But she put the pot on the counter anyway.

After some "magic" with more of Natsu's leftovers and the meager contents of her pantry, Loki quickly had some onions sauteing in the pan. And by the time it took Lucy to hunt down a small tin of coffee, he was already ladling something--that smelled like oh gosh, was that Italian? Lucy LOVED Italian--onto a plate.

"Here," he said casually, sliding the dish across the counter, "Try this."

Lucy pulled out two spoons from a drawer, slightly suspicious of her spirit's intentions. But oh, all that doubt melted away as the first bite melted on her tongue. "Oh gosh, I have nothing to say," she exclaimed, quickly reaching for another, "It's too good for words."

"Heh, yeah. My risotto tends to do that to people," Loki chuckled, spooning up a bite for himself.

"But seriously, how did you do that? It was just...rice," said Lucy, talking with her mouth half-full.

"When you've got a couple thousand years, you've got more than enough time to perfect your technique."

"Alright then. A couple thousand years and I'll be a much better cook than you," she joked.

Loki snorted. "Yeah. We'll see about that."

Lucy stood at the sink, washing dishes. It was rather nice, having (non-Natsu or Gray) company over, she mused. And it didn't help that he was an excellent cook. And gorgeous.

She frowned, scrubbing the pan a little harder. She refused to think about...things like that, especially if they planned on working together.

And as if he knew that she was thinking of him, Loki was at her elbow. He had found a clean dishtowel and was humming as he dried off plates. They worked in silent harmony, washing and drying...until Lucy couldn't stand the quiet any longer.

"So. Did you...really talk to Erza?" she tentatively questioned, squeezing the sponge.

"Recently, yeah actually. She measured me for the correct length of a rapier."

Lucy felt a wave of relief. Rapier measuring was a good deal of topics away from--

"But she kept making me swear to never hurt you or she'd cut my appendages off one by one. With a blunt fork."

"...she what?!" Lucy felt her heart drop like a heavy rock down to the pit of her stomach.

Loki took this all in stride, the reflection of the shiny silverware glinting in his sunglasses. "Mmhm. Natsu and Grey also offered to barbecue me alive, on one of those pig-roasting spits, if I would like that better then brutal dismemberment."

Lucy said nothing, even though her mind was racing. SERIOUSLY. She was going to have a very serious talk with those three tomorrow morning.

"Why's that, you think?" asked Loki, spreading the damp towel over the tray of clean dishes, "Before, with them, it was sparring invitations. Now its...hurt Lucy or die." He chuckled. "It's like they think we're a couple."

Rolling her eyes, Lucy leaned against the counter. "Exactly! It's like once they've got the thought in their heads, there's no getting it out."

"Well, maybe its a good thing. It shows how good we work together." Uh-oh, he was starting to get that goofy grin on his face.

"We've only done one--" Lucy held up her index finger to block his face. "--job together. We're in no position to judge anything."

"That's fair enough," he said, thoughtfully easing up to against the counter as well, "Fine. Let's do a couple more jobs, then we'll see about our chemistry."

"Chemistry?! As in if we make a good couple?!" Lucy's expression was nothing other than incredulous. The nerve of him, to suggest that--

"Yeah, sure. Alright, we'll see about that too," said Loki, a pleased grin spreading on his face, "But the chemistry I had in mind was to see how well our fighting styles mesh up. You know, that sort of thing."

Again, Lucy had nothing to say.

"I must say, I like your idea a lot better."

"Yeah, I bet," crossly said Lucy, turning her face away as she crossed her arms.

Quite suddenly, she felt the lightest of touches slide down her jawbone until warm fingers cupped her chin, gently turning her face. "Aww, c'mon. You know it'll be fun."

Lucy snorted, very ready to deny the fact, but the rosy blush on her cheeks gave her away. "Sure, it'd be nice to have more rent money," she remarked, in a voice that betrayed just the tiniest bit of shakiness. She began to intently focus on anything, _anything_, to distract herself. There! Never had the apple magnet on fridge look so interesting...but she made no move to push his hand away.

"See?" His voice was amused, but he came no closer. "I'll see you tomorrow then, beautiful."

"Alright, tomorrow."

The touch on Lucy's face began to lighten as his fingers began to vanish. She had expected him to be his usual over-affectionate self, but this time he seemed quite respectful. Hmm. Lucy faced forward, but then she felt lips miss her cheek. Instead, they landed a bit short of her earlobe, sending a shockwave down to her toes.

"Sorry," he apologized (He didn't seem very sorry at all), but before Lucy could swing her fist at him, he was entirely gone.

"Aarg, he's such a...a tease," Lucy complained, throwing her hands up.

* * *

It was morning and Fairy Tail was already up and about. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping, but Lucy was silent. She faced forward, staring determinedly at the listings, refusing to acknowledge the presence of a certain spirit.

"Look, I said I was sorry!" Loki stood a good distance away (she had glared death and misfortune at him any time he had come too close), scratching his head. "You...you moved. So I missed."

"Still," hissed Lucy, clomping over to jab at his chest, "That gives you no excuse for kissing me?!"

The usually busy guild room instantly went so quiet, Loki was quite sure that he had heard a pin drop. Then, as quickly as the noise stopped, it was replaced by encouraging whistles, taunts, cat-calls, you name it. It seemed as if the the entire guild was in on it--Lucy was mortified to see Mira with a finger and her thumb in her mouth, making the loudest whistle of all.

"WHOOO, Lucy! Go get 'em!" cheered Natsu, waving his arms in the air. Gray had the most obnoxiously happy grin on his face. And Erza, oh erza. Her arms were crossed and she flashed a gloved thumbs-up.

Loki shrugged his shoulders. "I guess they...approve?"

He barely survived the next wave of glaring daggers as Lucy angrily stuffed a wad of paper into his mouth, shutting him up. He couldn't help but smile--she was awfully cute when she was mad--as he was roughly dragged by his tie through the guild's double doors.

"...Escort?" Loki skimmed the crumpled paper as he and Lucy waited. They were on the street, just outside the ritzy hotel lobby, waiting for their assignment to arrive. "All the way to Canon? That's quite far, isn't it?"

Lucy had still not said a word to him, so he continued to talk. "A bodyguard-ish job, and I'm wearing a suit! It's a perfect fit. How considerate of you to think about that, Luce."

Still not a word. "So, um, you and me. Dinner. After this. Sound good?"

This earned him a scowl.

"Aww, you can't be mad at me foreverrr," he complained, moving to throw his arms around her shoulders, but he was interrupted when the most elaborate carriage he had ever seen pulled up to the curb.

Lucy's jaw dropped as the carriage came to a stop; it seemed as if the magically-drawn coach had rolled straight out of the fairy tail Cinderella. It was a white carriage, its round shape reminiscent of a plump pumpkin.

She was abruptly pulled out of her daydream when someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, are you my escort from Fairy Tail?"

Lucy turned to greet her charge, when speak of the devil. Before her stood Cinderella herself. The girl was beautiful, around eighteen or so and she wore her blonde hair loosely coiled around her shoulders. She was wrapped in a light blue traveling coat, and on her feet, Lucy swore that she saw dainty glass slippers.

"Uh, yes, I'm Lucy, pleased to meet you," Lucy said, trying not to sound flustered. "And you must be...?"

"Brooke," said the would-be Princess. Lucy had been expecting a Cindy, but Brooke was nice too.

Brooke looked around the area, a puzzled look on her face. "Forgive me, I'm a bit confused. Didn't my ad request two members of your guild? Have you brought a partner?"

"Yeah, I have," Lucy grimaced, gesturing towards the carriage, "Brooke, this--"

"Loki. Nice to meet you," he said, striding up out of nowhere. And then he smiled.

The composed, elegant composure of the Princess vanished for a second, and it was slowly replaced by the dreamy expression worn by Loki's former fangirls. With an embarrassed giggle, Brooke extended her gloved hand and to Lucy's horror, her partner took it.

Lucy trudged after the "pair," frowning deeply at Brooke's never-ending giggles as Loki helped her into the carriage. Next, it was Lucy's turn. With a grand flourish, Loki extended a hand to help her in as well, which Lucy ignored.

At least the 5 hour ride to Canon would feel better inside the plush carriage, thought Lucy, who was thankful that the job description included a ride back home. But still, she had to make small talk with this Brooke, who was too busy making ga-ga eyes at Loki. Hmph.

"You're not jealous, are you?" whispered Loki, who received his umpteenth glare of the day.

Jealous? Hell, no. Well maybe a little, but still. Putting her thoughts out of her mind, Lucy took a deep breath and put on her happy face, ready with her wonderfully interesting conversational topics...when Brooke again looked at her with the same puzzled gaze.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but would it be alright if Loki rode inside with me? You can have the seat next to the driver!" And with unmistakable fangirl strength, Lucy was ejected from her seat, thrown straight into Loki's chest.

The embrace was cut short as Lucy fumbled to stand, but oh gosh. The scent of his cologne was fresh. Elegant. Masculine and she fought it but again, color spread on her cheeks.

"...you alright?"

Lucy looked up. AARG, she had been too caught up in his stupid smell that she didn't notice that his arm was wrapped around her waist, ensuring that she didn't fall. He seemed quite happy.

"Stop, stop doing that," she mumbled. Darn him, she kept getting--

"My fangirls used to say that I '_dazzled'_ them," he said, spirit fingers for emphasis.

Lucy refused to use that word.

Suddenly, the shrill call of, "Oh Loooooooki! Where are youuu?" interrupted the moment, and with a cheery grin, Loki disappeared into the compartment. Lucy clawed her way up to the driver's bench, where a pleasant old man sat at the controls.

And then, with the roar of the magical engine, they were off. The wind loudly whipped through her hair (which would be full of tangles after the ride, Lucy despaired), so small talk with the driver was out. At least the view was nice?

A high-pitched giggle interrupted her thoughts, and Lucy sighed an exhausted sigh of irritation. Loki was in there, being fawned upon by _Fangirl Brooke_. While she had to sit on a wooden bench. In the sun. For five gosh darn hours.

Oh, it was going to be a long ride.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

'_Well, at least...I have a tan,'_ thought Lucy, forever the optimist as she clambered down from the driver's seat.

The coach driver, noticing that they were at the halfway point of their journey, had pulled over at a cliff-side lookout which doubled as a rest stop for the hungry and the road weary. It was about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, Lucy figured, strolling towards the guard rail to admire the view. The deep blue ocean was bordered by a thin strip of golden coastline, trailing out into the horizon. She took a deep breath, inhaling the salty air, reveling in the--

"OH LOKI, TEE-HEE, YOU'RE SO _adorable_," obnoxiously screeched Brooke, the almost-princess, as the pair emerged from the "royal" coach. Brooke had attached herself to Loki in a way that strongly reminded Lucy of...leeches. Blood-sucking, tiara-wearing leeches.

"...Ah, ha," said Loki, who had thankfully mastered the art of unattaching fangirls from his person, "I'm going to check with my partner, alright? Wait in the carriage, I'll be right there."

"Of course, my love, anything for you," Brooke fawned, tee-heeing herself back inside.

Lucy very much wanted to puke, but she resisted, rolling her eyes instead as her spirit partner met her at the look-out railing. "So. How was the ride?"

Loki took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "It was...alright. Not pleasant, but it was alright." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "How was yours?"

"I listened to an idiot giggle uncontrollably for two and a half hours, while the outer layer of my skin fried off," she replied as dryly as she could, "How do you think it was?"

He grinned, extending a finger to tuck her hair behind her ear, "Well, I must say, love. You look especially beautiful with that bronzed skin."

Lucy snorted, blushing only the slightest. "Oh really."

"Yeah, really."

She tore her gaze away from the water to look him in the eye. He was leaning, ever so casually, against the railing. The dark shades hid his smiling eyes but dammit, she thought, her eyes zeroed in on that stupid carefree grin that just made her want to lean over and--

"LOKI-BEAR, It's time to goooo~," squealed Brooke, leaning out the window of the coach, impatiently waving her handkerchief.

Lucy sighed futility. The moment was ruined. "Loki-Bear" shrugged, snatching and kissing Lucy's hand before she had the chance to snatch it away. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of...bonding time after we drop her off," he grinned, as the pair trudged back to work.

Her brain was a bit rattled, Lucy couldn't think of anything clever to say. "Oh really?"

"Yes ma'am. It _is_ a 5 hour ride back home, after all. And this time, we can ride _inside_ the carriage."

Hmm. Lucy made sure she had climbed back into her seat before betraying the tiniest amount of glee. 5 hours didn't seem so bad, after all.

----------

_Ah, this is the life!_, thought Lucy, who was still on top of the coach. This time, instead of the sun blazing right above them, it was slowly setting in the distance, washing the region in beautiful tones of orange and red. The salty air felt cool upon her tan skin as the horses pulled the carriage down the path carved into the cliff-side.

Thank the Spirits that stupid Brooke had fallen asleep, it left Lucy to admire the view in peace. She leaned back in her seat, thankful that she could hear the gentle lapping of the waves upon the rocks, the soft calls of the gulls flying in, the deep rumble of the rocks shifting...

...Oh, wait a moment.

Lucy's eyes grew wide as she quickly glanced towards the tall wall of rock to their side. And there, near the top she saw it: A shower of large boulders was tumbling down the mountain...right onto the path.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she swore under her breath, pounding the roof of the carriage as loud as she could. This was ridiculous! "Loki! Loki, we've got to--"

The driver was frantically trying to rein in the horses, but the frightened animals were confused. They kept running towards their impeding doom, ignoring the commands of their master.

Loki nimbly pulled himself out of the carriage, maneuvering himself until he was crouched on the roof. He sighed deeply when he saw rolling boulders, mentally charting their course in his head. "Alright, we've got to be quick."

"You can't do anything to calm them down?" Lucy wailed, fumbling for her keys. She knew she had to summon someone, but who? Not Sagittarius, maybe Aquarius, to wash the boulders into the sea? The water was quite a far ways down...could she make it in time?

The driver, grimaced, "Miss, I'm trying but something's gotten into them!"

"Lucy, listen," said Loki, speaking quickly, "I'm going to cut off the harnesses, you're gonna have to--"

"Summon Taurus," she said, without hesitation. She was already forming the gate. "To stop the coach."

There was a split second when time seemed to slow, and their eyes met. Lucy felt a rush of adrenaline spread throughout her body as she slowly exhaled. It was as if they were on the same wavelength--how else would she have known the details before he had even told them to her? As partners, they were the perfect match.

Quicker then she liked, time sped up again, and her next intake of breath was rapid and harsh. Lucy's vision flashed golden light for the brief moment that the gate was open, and she saw Loki dash forward, cutting the horse harnesses in quick slices.

Once the horses were free, the carriage was noticeably less stable. Lucy almost fell backwards as a wagon wheel caught a boulder, and now she could hear Brooke screaming from inside the coach, clawing at the windows. With a grunt, Taurus leapt off the roof, took hold of the steel undercarriage, and groaned as he dug his heels into the coarse gravel. Almost instantly, the coach began to slow. With just a bit more muscle, Taurus was able to stop the carriage. Unfortunately, it was a bit too close to the edge of the cliff for Lucy's liking...but she was just glad that there were no casualties.

Lucy let out a deep sigh of relief as she smiled at Taurus, who gave a snappy salute before fading back into the Spirit World. The impromptu rescue mission had gone off without a hitch! She could see Loki, in the distance, safely leading the calmed horses back.

"WHAT the hell is going on out there?!" suddenly squealed Brooke, pushing a window open and sobbing as dramatically as she could, "I could have died, don't you peasants realize this?"

"Miss, they just saved our lives," stammered the driver. The poor old man's glasses were askew as he still gripped the wooden railing so hard, it was sure to leave an impression.

Before Lucy could make a (sarcastic) remark, Brooke cut in again. "Loki darling, are you alright?!"

"Yes, I'm good," said Loki, unfazed as he tied the horses to a branch jutting out of the rock, "Are any of you hurt?"

Lucy was sure that the party was unharmed. "Nah, I think everyone's al--"

"MEEE, oh Lord, my head, I think I hit it. Loki, I think you need to kiss me to make it all better," Brooke wailed, literally throwing herself out of the window.

Suddenly, the carriage made a loud, ominous creak. Lucy swore even louder this time, she should have seen this coming--apparently all it took for the coach to move was a change of Brooke's tiny weight. She swung out her keys, ready to summon Taurus for the quick rescue.

"Brooke, look at me, don't panic," said Loki, who was already helping the driver out of his seat. One of his arms was stretched out for her to grab, b]ut the closer he got to the girl, the more she began to needlessly flail...and the more the coach began to move. Quicker then an instant, one of the wheels was teetering off the edge.

"Damnit Brooke, stop moving!" Lucy shouted. Sweat rolled off the tip of her nose as she concentrated, trying with all her might to block out distractions. The drain of having two spirits out at once was beginning to hit her, it was affecting her ability to summon. "Loki, I don't think I can--"

Oh no. She wasn't going to make it. As the last of her energy reserves evaporated, she felt something in her chest drop to the bottom of her stomach. If she didn't do something, Brooke--no matter how irritating she was--was going to die. And that wasn't something Lucy could live with.

Lucy dropped the Key to the Bull, letting it dangle around the thick ring around her wrist. The coach was hanging precariously off the cliff now, and Loki was in the process of heaving the driver off his seat. Without thinking, Lucy rushed to Brooke, and pulled the girl to safety with one swift twist.

There. That was her good deed of the day, Lucy smugly thought to herself as her feet searched for stable ground. But crap, the twisting motion had given her body momentum. Lucy frantically windmilled her arms for balance as her foot missed the cliff edge by inches.

The last thing she heard before she entirely lost her footing was Loki shouting her name...and then she was falling.

----------

Free fall was a curious thing, Lucy thought as she dropped through the air. She could feel nothing besides the pull of gravity and the wind slapping her cheeks. She had already tried, one last agonizing time, to summon a spirit for her rescue, but the energy required just wouldn't come. She was finished.

Dammit, she didn't want to go like this. She had always wanted to go out with a bang! At least people would remember that Lucy Heartphilia died saving (an ungrateful) someone. Lucy's eyes stung but she kept them open. At least, before she died, the last thing she saw were the rays of a sunset as beautiful as this one.

Dammit, she could feel her heart wrenching. Wasn't it ironic...that it was in the moments before her death that she felt so alive? There was still so much she wanted to do with her life! Images of her family and friends flashed through her mind. But if there was one thing, just ONE thing that she had wanted to do...it would have been to experience what it felt like, to be held in Loki's arms.

A sad smile crept onto Lucy's face. "There. I admit it," she whispered to no one in particular, watching a single tear fall upwards, "Happy now?"

Lucy closed her eyes. She felt at peace with herself. Was she ready? Definitely not...but she was as ready as she was ever going to be. She took a deep breath, readying herself for the impact at the back of her skull, when something solid collided with her chest. Lucy's eyes flew open as the wind was knocked out of her.

And then everything went dark.

----------

_Hmm_, thought Lucy, _I must be dead. _

And hm. For another reason, Lucy just couldn't manage to...move. Oh dear, she couldn't really feel her arms OR her legs. That wasn't too good.

But ah, the feeling was slowly returning to her limbs, one sensation at a time. She could feel the moist sand around her legs, and the heat of the bright sun tickling her skin. Gentle waves lapped at the soles of her feet.

_Well, at least if I'm dead, I'm at a beach_. For some reason, she could just tell...that she was on island, very very far away.

Hmm. An island? How did she get here? Lucy strained to remember. The details were fuzzy, but if she concentrated, she could make out a carriage, lots of rocks. And a cliff?

There, now Lucy could wiggle her pinky toe. Haha, success! Why couldn't she move her head? She could feel something, perhaps a tangle of seaweed, wrapped around her middle and she would really like to see what it was. But hmm, it was a rather pleasant sensation. It felt like there were two arms: one which fit under the small of her back, the other draped over her abdomen.

With a bit of effort, Lucy wiggled her nose. And then she willed herself to bring her head up.

Lucy's lips instantly formed an "o," as she blinked at the sight in front of her: There were a pair of arms wrapped around her middle. They belonged to a young man with bright hair, who was passed out in the sand besides her, looking rather out of place in a dark suit. _That's funny, _thought Lucy, _he looks awfully famil--_

The memories hit Lucy in the gut, just as hard as she remembered Loki slamming into her torso. She had been exhausted, falling helplessly, when he had thrown himself over the cliff after her. He had hurdled towards her like a missile, praying that her outstretched limbs provided enough drag for him to catch up. Then, impact. The sensation of the wind whipping at Lucy's face had been replaced by a feeling so cold, it felt as she could feel it in the cores of her bones. And then, darkness...and the beach.

Lucy cried out in alarm. Her body was instantly thrown out of shock, she sat up so fast, the blood rushed from her head. She leaned forward, shaking the limp body. Oh no, oh no, why wasn't he breathing?

Lucy's heart lurched painfully in her chest. He had saved her...but was she too late to save him?

* * *

**A/N**: Wah, I owe all of you pretty people the deepest of apologies. I am SO TRULY SORRY that I took forever with this one (but hey, I graduated! Hooray!). I'm sure the next ones won't be so far apart? But if you stuck with it, thank you. I owe you all one (in the form of wonderful LokixLucy).


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

While Lucy's heart was beating entirely way too fast, it seemed like Loki's wasn't beating at all.

But it was, Lucy told herself. Even if his heartbeat was faint, she knew it was still there, so she kept going. She swallowed hard in an attempt not to panic, but she felt as if she was fighting a losing battle. Pumping firmly on his chest, Lucy prayed that she wasn't too late; praying that he'd take a breath. At least there was some consolation-he didn't seem to be bleeding anywhere.

Seconds passed, which to Lucy felt more like hours. Still, there was no change, but she refused to give up. He'd saved her life, hadn't he? Now it was her turn.

"Loki?" she said through gritted teeth, "C'mon Loki..._please_." Lucy tilted his head backwards, and without hesitation, she blew fresh air down his windpipe. His lips were cold, definitely not a good sign.

Lucy couldn't help it, letting a sob escape. The adrenaline pulsing through her veins was starting to make her woozy, which had the effect of increasing her panic. It wasn't looking good for her Spirit, not good at all. With one strong push, she pumped once more.

Nothing.

Lucy swallowed, taking as deep of a breath as she could manage. She was going to fall apa-

Loki groaned, his eyebrows furrowed together as he violently coughed up a mouthful of salty water. His nose and throat burned like mad but he was thankful-it was a sign that he was alive. The first thing he noticed was the water, which his feet were submerged in, soaking his pants up to his knees. The second was the dull ache in his nasal and throat passages, from the salt. The third thing he noticed was the pair of hands on him. Their touch felt dainty yet strong, if the combination could exist, pressed against his chest and their fingers were curled tightly into his shirt.

With a haggard intake of breath, Loki opened his eyes. He had lost his sunglasses, but he wasn't disappointed at all-it allowed him to view her unfiltered, in all her sun-kissed glory.

She was crying, which he couldn't stand, so he raised a hand to cup her face, the ghost of a smile showing on his lips. "Why're you crying, beautiful?"

Lucy pursed her lips together in an attempt to regain her composure. "It's just...you were..." She was suddenly at a loss for words, swallowing hard instead. "...I thought you were gone," she managed to whisper.

Loki chuckled. "You know I'd never leave you."

The fatigue was obvious on Lucy's face as she attempted a weak smile. "C'mon, let's get out of the water. Can you stand?"

"Yes, I think so." Loki pushed himself up, leaning upon his Owner for support as they hobbled towards a trio of overlapping palms. If this were a resort, one would expect to sit under such palms sipping an ice-cold margarita.

"So, what happened?" asked Lucy, gently easing her partner onto the ground. The exhaustion hit her suddenly, and as if her legs gave out, she plopped onto the white sand. "I was quite sure I was a goner."

"Silly girl, life wouldn't nearly be as sweet with out you," said Loki, shrugging out of his jacket, "So I knew I'd had to save you." He wadded it up into a pillow of sorts and began to stretch the aches out of his legs.

Lucy frowned as she watched him grimace. "How'd you do it? I was so close to hitting those rocks..."

He moved on to his arms. Ahh, these were alright. The tenderness was minimal. "Its what we spirits call a '_return_.' Its very difficult to do, but I think Virgo did it once. With Natsu."

"Natsu? When did Natsu...Oh!" Lucy snapped her fingers in recognition. "That one time, on the mission I won her key! That's right, he did travel through the spirit world. I totally forgot about that."

Loki pulled his shoulders back, and almost instantly, there was a sharp pain in his upper back. It raced up his spine to throb uncomfortably right below his neck. _Damnit_, he swore to himself, _I'll need to go back to heal this one. _

"So, can we do another...return to get back home?" asked Lucy, glancing around. The beach was beautiful and relaxing, but they weren't on vacation. Heck, she was still technically on contract! There was a mission she needed to take care of. Ignoring the urge to gag, the professional side of Lucy wished that the wonderfully pleasant Brooke was safe.

"Yes, but I can't do it just yet. A return involves quite a lot of energy, and I'm rather drained at the moment."

"Can I summon Virgo to do it? Or maybe Taurus?"

"Mmm, you can try. But its a rather difficult technique to perform. That, and a spirit usually has to be...inspired to do it."

Lucy frowned, and clipped her keys securely back to her belt. She shuddered at the thought of having to..._inspire_...Taurus. "How do you know you'll be inspired?"

"Don't worry, love. I got this," he smiled, "But first, I've got to go back for a while. Will you be alright? I don't want to leave you alone here, really, but-"

Lucy grinned, flashing the victory sign. "No worries! I'm a big girl, you know. I'll survive a couple hours by myself. I'll hunt...coconuts or something."

"Alright, alright. Promise you won't terrorize the local wildlife while I'm gone?" he teased, easing himself back into a sitting position.

"Of course. What do you take me for, a-"

With a slight eyeroll and one more grin, Loki had leaned forward, stroking the side of her face before cupping her chin. "I'm serious this time. Be safe."

"I will." Despite the heat, Lucy couldn't help but feel goose bumps on her legs. "What about you? Take all the time you need."

"Can do. See you in a bit." He unexpectedly leaned forward. Lucy panicked, thinking he was making a bee-line straight for her lips, but instead, he kissed her cheek softly. She closed her eyes; the clossness of him was rather thrilling.

And then, his touch was gone as his body returned back to the world he called home. Lucy blinked slowly; she could still feel his lips grazing her cheek.

Out of the blue, she swore. Seriously! She was a stellar spirit mage, one of the best. Loki was one of her spirits. In her mind, she pictured the two of them standing in a room, its walls plastered a startling white. There was an angry red line painted on the ground between them. But still, she could picture that stupid grin spreading on his face, blatantly ignoring the "rules" to extend a hand over the line to her.

"Bah, I'm wasting freaking daylight, she muttered." Lucy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Lucy had a to-do list as long as Natsu's scarf and she was wasting all her time daydreaming about Spirits. Spirits who happened to have the nicest lips she'd ever-

"AARG enough!" she swore, stomping off into the forest.

* * *

A couple hours later, Lucy was lounging around in the afternoon warmth feeling quite proud of herself. After setting up base camp under the same trio of palms, she relished the time to stretch out her limbs. In the hours that Loki had been gone, Lucy had been quite productive! She had a bountiful pile of firewood, located a nearby stream, heck she'd even managed to fashion herself a beach chair. She'd been lucky enough to walk face first into a papaya tree, and Lucy was very willing to trade a bruise for something tasty (and healthy!) to eat. Sagittarius had stopped by to light a fire (and then quickly dismissed so that Lucy could save her energy), and now Lucy was lazily watching the sun begin its daily descent under the horizon.

No matter how accomplished Lucy felt, she still couldn't shake the feeling of...uneasiness about her..."love interest." Her brain and her heart were having very lengthy discussions, yet Lucy herself didn't have much to contribute. She just couldn't get him off her or mind, and Lucy couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.

Just as she was about to get lost in her thoughts once more, Lucy felt a slight tug on her conscious. It was followed by a sudden breeze, and she was suddenly aware of a recognizable presence behind her.

"Miss me?" said Loki, as confident as ever as he bent into a crouch at her side.

Lucy prayed that the brilliant sunset masked the color on her cheeks. "Err...sure. A little. Are you better now? That was fast." She briefly looked him over. He didn't seem to be in any obvious pain, that was a good thing. Gone was the fancy Italian suit, replaced by something more casual and familiar-a soft, white t-shirt and a worn, sturdy green, fur-lined jacket. "Nice jacket," she teased, gesturing at the sandy beach, "Are you planning on playing in the snow anytime soon?

"Hey, I'm prepared," he said, unslinging the backpack he wore. "And I'd say I'm about 85 percent. I think I'll be ready to try the return in the morning, so I brought back some provisions."

Lucy clapped her hands together. "Spirit world stuff! My favorite!" She goo-ed and gah-ed over the little tubes of Spirit World toothpaste, roll of toilet paper, and her favorite-a paper bag which seemed to contain a spirit world hamburger. "Oh...my gawd," she drawled, her mouth full of food, "Let's get stranded more often."

Loki's only response was to roll his eyes as he shrugged off his coat, stretching his legs out in the sand.

"So...did you bring anything for us to do?" asked Lucy, as she munched on fries.

"What?" Loki exclaimed, mock irritation, "I brought you toothpaste and food, and I have to entertain you too?"

She frowned. "Nothing? Fine. I guess that's better than Natsu, when we were stuck in the elevator, he made me put on this stupid play with my-"

"Relax, relax," he sighed, pulling out a small, black zippered portfolio out of his backpack, "I know my girl. See?" He held it out to her like an offering.

Upon setting sights on the item, Lucy's eyes lit up as the portfolio was made of pure gold. Spirit world burgers were NOTHING compared to this. "Oh Loki, really?" Her voice rang with the happy bells of delight.

"Yes, really." He was amused.

"Well then. Loki," said Lucy, smiling angelically as she could, "Are you ready to be destroyed?"

* * *

"Amazing for 89 points," said Loki, nonchalantly placing 7 tiles onto the board.

"NO FREAKING WAY," Lucy shrieked. She peered closer at the board, absolutely sure that in the dim firelight, he had read one of the tiles wrong.

"Hey! Write it down, I get 89 points."

The two of them were lying in the cool sand, their heads clustered around a miniature scrabble board. Lucy always thought she had a knack for letters and words, but it was she who was being destroyed. She grumbled as she scribbled his score down on an extra napkin. "You're cheating because you've had eons to practice."

She was determined to make it up the point difference, but at the end of the night, she ended up short. The fire had burned down to a a pile of slow burning embers by the time she had played her last tiles. Although it was only by a couple points (he told her this was quite the accomplishment), she felt a bit disappointed.

"Aww, come here," said Loki, folding up the board, "Come. I'll teach you something." He set it aside and patted the sand beside him.

"How to beat you in Scrabble?" she asked, moving over. Just being near him made her heart beat faster-which was something that Lucy tried very hard to ignore.

"Nah, something you'd find a bit more...interesting." Loki pointed upwards, to the stars. The crescent shaped moon was directly above them, but its light seemed to make the stars shine brighter.

With an eyebrow slightly raised, Lucy said, "You're going to teach me constellations? I'm a stellar spirit mage, you know. I think I know 'em pretty well."

"Ah, but not as well as I do. See that one? Kinda down to the left of Heracles? That's Aquilla."

"The eagle," Lucy said knowingly. She shivered a little, partly from nerves, partly because it had gotten rather chilly. The pleasant island breeze had been refreshing during the day, but at night, the wind had a slight bite to it.

"Yep. I'd best describe him as a glorified errand boy," said Loki, shrugging out of his jacket for the second time that day. He draped it over her shoulders as he continued talking, "So if you ever need to deliver something extremely important or valuable, say for a mission, he's your guy."

Lucy smiled. Loki had been awfully smooth about that-she had the same feeling as if she were in high school, on a first date at the movies with the boy who just asked her out. "Oh really? That's a pretty handy thing to know."

"See? Oh, and that one. Pegasus? He's-"

"Ah! I've been looking for a Pegasi key forever!" Lucy clapped her hands together. "Wouldn't it be fun to-"

"No," Loki said bluntly, "It's not what you think. Not fluffy horse, more of...cranky taxi driver. Pegasus is like the cab business of the spirit world."

"Aww," complained Lucy. It had always been her dream as a stellar spirit mage to summon a beautiful white horse with wings.

"And one more," said Loki, casually slipping his arm around Lucy's shoulders, "That's Cassiopeia. A bit of a 'wicked queen from Cindarella' syndrome."

Lucy laughed. "Wicked queen?"

"You know. Who is the prettiest in the land? She's got billboards proclaiming how blessed she is. But anyway, she's reliable, does some great work, but I'd pass on her key if I were you."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Lucy frowned slightly-curious, but still disappointed about her knowledge of Pegasus.

"Because..." Loki turned towards her. The moonlight and the orange embers combined to light up her face, giving her a glow that was almost divine. And although she bit her lip in uncertainty(which he found adorable), her eyes had sparkled with life. "...you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Lucy bit her lip. Her skin felt tingly, it felt like her heart was stuck in her throat, and a million things were running through her brain. Not wanting her silence to be taken the wrong way, she managed to choke out something that sounded like a "thank you."

Loki said nothing as he turned back to the stars, but by the moonlight, Lucy saw that his lips were curved upwards into a light smile. She couldn't help smiling herself-THIS is what she liked. It was a beautiful night, the stars were out, and a rather good-looking guy [spirit] had his arm around her.

"Well, it's rather late. Time to tuck in? We've got a big day tomorrow," said Loki, looking down at her, "Lots of summoning and returning to do."

"Mmm, I guess you're right." By judging her internal clock, Lucy figured it was just short of one in the morning. Had they really been stargazing that long? She could be wrong though, the fatigue that had started to seep in could be throwing her time off.

Unexpectedly, Loki leaned backwards until he was lying comfortably in the sand. One arm was bunched under his head, the other he lay flat, straight out to his side. "Come here."

Lucy was tired and after a brief mental consideration, she [and her excited heart] decided that it was in her best interests to comply. She lay so that her head was on his shoulder and she felt him arrange the jacket around her snugly. It just felt so...natural and comfortable, she was sure to fall asleep soon. "Thank you," she mumbled into his chest.

"Good night, beautiful."

"...hey, Loki?"

"Mmm?" His voice sounded tired too.

"...can I have a good night kiss?"

There was a soft chuckle. "Of course." Loki started to turn over, but she was quick and able to beat him too it, leaning on her elbow until they were face to face. He was smiling a tired grin as she bent down, her lips tentatively meeting his as if to ask, 'is this ok?' He answered by reaching up to cup her face, kissing her deeply as he pulled her into him. His lips were soft yet firm, and a little chapped, and he smelled like-it was so familiar yet she couldn't put a name to it. Her brain wasn't working, all she knew was that he smelled good.

Finally, they slowly broke apart.

"Go to sleep, love," said Loki, softly, as he gently pushed her head back down. She fell asleep quickly, listening to the beat of his heart.

* * *

It was cool when Lucy opened her eyes, waking up to the soft crash of the waves. After a few drowsy stretches, she sat up slowly, pulling the jacket around her shoulders. Loki was gone.

She stretched some more, trying to think. Where could he have gone? While twisting to crack her back, she found a note stuffed into the jacket pocket.

"Don't worry, love," she read aloud, "Gone to get us breakfast. Be back quick."

Lucy shrugged, a smile creeping onto her face. Being with him, it just felt so...good. Tingly, happy-go-lucky, jump for joy kinda good. Her prior debates about their status had been pushed to the back of her mind ; she felt like a glacier-cold and unmoving-but his warm was starting to melt her. Lucy couldn't wait until he came back.

She stood up, ready to go use the bathroom and brush her teeth, when she heard footsteps in the sand behind her. Someone was coming. Lucy grinned. He must have come back early! Turning around to meet him, she called his name.

"Loki, where did you-"

Blinking in confusion, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was a person, walking towards her, but it wasn't Loki.

"Hi Lucy." The newcomer looked extremely out of place on the beach. It was a girl, wearing something that looked like soft fleece. Little horns curved out of her fair hair. Meekly kicking the sand off her fleecy boots, Aries said, "...can we...talk?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"...Aries?" That was all Lucy could say as she stared rather dumbfounded at the Spirit who had approached her. The Ram was skittishly picking her way through the sand to meet her master. This was TWICE now, that one of her spirits (and one of the 12 principal ones, at that!) had summoned themselves on their own power, without her permission.

Aries frowned with worry. "I'm...I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know I came without being called! Should I call you Master? Virgo says I should call you Princess or maybe-" Her words came out in a rush as she wrung her hands in distress.

"Aries, Aries, calm down," said Lucy in the most soothing voice she could manage, "Come, sit down and you can tell me what this is all about."

"N-no, I can't stay for long, a couple minutes maybe?," said Aries, but at Lucy's beckoning, she timidly came into the shelter area, awkwardly bending to kneel on the blanket. "It's just, you've been so nice to us! I just felt like I should tell you..."

Lucy paused. "Tell me what?"

Aries immediately became alarmed. "Nothing! Well, I'm-not-supposed-to-tell-you, since-you're-our-owner-and-we-keep-it-between-Spirits-but-I-think-you-should-know-"

The frightened spirit abruptly came to a stop. Lucy said nothing-instead, she slowly reached over to place her hand over Aries' gloved one. "It's alright," said Lucy, in a soft voice that rang with concern, "Aries, its fine. You can tell me."

Very meekly, Aries raised her gaze from the sand to meet Lucy's. "Well, it's about Loki."

"Loki? about him? Is ?" asked Lucy. Warning bells began to sound in her head but she impatiently shushed them.

"Oh, yes! He's fine, it's just that." Aries struggled but managed to take a deep breath. "It's just, we love you! You're amazing and..we don't want you to get hurt."

"Wait wait, I'm confused," said Lucy, taking Aries' hands into her own, "What does this have to do with Loki?"

"We.I.I don't want him to break your heart," whispered Aries. She looked up at Lucy with puppy dog eyes, her lips pulled into a frown.

Lucy could feel her heart throbbing as she pulled Aries into a hug. In her mind, she could see a big neon sign that flashed 'heartbreaker' in angry red, capital letters. "You're sweet, Aries, but why-"

"It's not only that, it's the boundary limits! And the commitment and the bond and." Aries bleated, her face was contorted in worry.

"Limits? Commitment, bond, what? What is all of this?" asked Lucy, who couldn't help but bite her lip . Her internal alarm was almost deafening now.

"You know, it's the-" Aries eyes suddenly grew big like a deer in headlights. "He's coming, I feel him! Oh, I've got to go, I've got to go!" she squeaked, scrambling to stand up, the tips of her horns and toes already beginning to vanish.

"Aries, wait-" Lucy struggled to stand before she was caught in an awkward embrace.

"Just be careful for now, okay?" whispered Aries, as the last of her fleece disappeared with the breeze.

Lucy stood on the beach, facing the wind. Alone.

* * *

Loki found his master sitting cross-legged in the sand, staring blankly at the water as she listened to the waves crash into the shore. He had left their breakfast in their shelter and said nothing as he silently sank down onto the ground beside her.

A minute passed until he finally asked, "What's wrong?"

Finally turning to look at him, she flashed a half-hearted smile. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Experienced in defense against the subtle art of female irritation, he didn't answer in fear of provoking her. Her posture seemed relaxed but he could see the tenseness that practically radiated from her. He honestly had no clue what was wrong, she seemed so comfortable this morning! Did something happen in the mean time?

"Well, are you hungry? I brought breakfast, it's back up by the tree," he gestured.

"Mmm, maybe later. I'm good for now, thank you though," she said, the fake smile still on her face as she turned back to the ocean.

Loki was quiet for a moment. Sensing that she wanted to be alone with her thoughts, he squeezed her shoulder before wordlessly getting up.

* * *

The return was uneventful.

Lucy eventually came back to the shelter with a smile, consuming the same amount of food as she normally did with the same amount of gusto. She was friendly and neatly packed up their supplies. She stood before Loki with her hair tied back into a messy ponytail, smiling-but it felt like a mask.

As he performed the return-his arms wrapped around her and her face pressed into the folds of his jacket-he could feel the tenseness she carried in her shoulders. He closed his eyes, inhaling one last breath of salty air as he focused on his master's apartment. He felt something of a popping in his ears and then they were there. Lucy was home.

"Seriously! Who exactly does she think she is?" exhaled Lucy, holding up a horrendously hot pink package that her landlady had left on her kitchen table. Lucy's address was there, written with a messy scrawl as it had been forwarded from the guild mailroom.

"Mmm, a princess," said Loki, who didn't have to guess who the package was from. He took off his pack and handed Lucy a pair of scissors, "What did the lovely Brooke send you? One of her extra tiaras?"

Lucy quickly cut open the box, tossing around garish tissue paper and bubble wrap until there-there was something black at the bottom, slightly shiny.

"Ah!" exclaimed Loki, who couldn't help but feel gleeful. He reached into the box, pulling out his sunglasses and sliding them on over his nose. "Much better."

Lucy rolled her eyes but grinned anyway. She felt tired, drained. For one, she had just completed a mission. Two, she just couldn't shake Aries' 'warning' out of her head. What did she mean? Lucy took a deep breath, imagining the nice hot, long bath she'd have later that night. On the exhale, she felt his fingers on her body.

Loki stood behind her, his hands snaking around her waist, ignoring the fact that her shoulders jumped up before she forcibly relaxed them. "You alright?" he asked quietly, speaking into her hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired," Lucy answered. She felt torn-part of her loved the closeness, the other part of her was guarded.

"Alright then," he said, pulling her in a little closer, "If you need anything, just call. Okay?"

As Lucy nodded, she closed her eyes. His touch felt lighter and lighter; she was already missing it! But by the time she opened them again, he was gone and the only golden dust that was left was floating away with the breeze.

* * *

Lucy brought her hands up, scrunching up her hair and exhaling loudly. It almost felt like a sob! She hated feeling like this, stressed out and ready to either eat a tub of ice cream or take a crazy 3 mile run. STRESS. Lucy was now pacing between her closet and her kitchen, wailing about how stressed she was when from the back of her mind, a voice (her subconscious. Who else? Lucy knew she didn't hear voices on a regular basis.) mentioned, "Stressed? Why don't you do anything about it?"

Throwing her hands out, she asked to no one/herself, "What? What can I do?" Now, she felt a little crazy. (She was talking to herself?) She stopped pacing, taking deeper breaths to stabilize herself. She had stopped right in front of bathroom door.

10 minutes later, Lucy had her tub filled nearly to the top. However, she wasn't soaking in it, her feet were planted squarely on her bath mat. Throw in the towel, curl up into a ball and sob? Ha. Lucy couldn't help but grin a little, although it was a little grim. How could she forget who she was? She was a Heartphillia, for one. And a darn good stellar spirit mage at that. Why not play to her strengths? Lucy wanted answers and there was only one place to get them. With determination, she raised a golden key. "Open, gate of the water bearer. I summon you, Aquarius!"

* * *

**A/N: **I feel like...idk. I was going to make a morbid "I'm not dead" joke, but by the date of my last update, I don't think I'm allowed to, haha. This sat in my draft folder forEVER. Everytime I touched it, idk. I have direction! Hopefully, xcrossing fingersx, the next one comes way easier.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Natsu Dragonil was hungry.

His stomach was growling loud enough to wake a sleeping dragon as he stood in his kitchen-one of the least cluttered areas of his home, trying to decide what to eat. Decisions, decisions, decisions! He was tempted to dump a can of tuna into a (large mixing) bowl of hot sauce and call it a day but then he remembered—in the fridge, he had a bowl of curry. It wasn't just any curry—it was spicy enough to tickle the taste buds of even a fire dragonslayer. With a spoon in his mouth, he slowly pulled the bowl off its chilly pedestal, pausing in awe. It was then, at that precise moment, when a shriek reverberated through the air.

"A _BATHTUB_. HOW DARE YOU SUMMON ME IN A FREAKING _BATHTUB_?"

It made him wince, causing the wonderfully full bowl of curry-goodness to topple, plopping his coveted culinary masterpiece into an uneven blob on his wooden kitchen floor. Natsu sighed, his lips turning into a frown. He held up his spoon anyway.

* * *

Poor Lucy. She winced as a mini tsunami raged in her bathroom, waves crashing against her bathroom door. She had practically been pushed into a corner by the pressure of the water, one leg in the water like a flamingo. There went the security deposit for her apartment!

Aquarius didn't care one bit. She had drawn herself up to her full glory—hair magically whipping around in an angry stormy gust, beautiful lips pulled into a severe frown, and brilliant turquoise eyes shooting the worst of her death stares DIRECTLY at her owner. "A. Bathtub. How dare you, you—" she spat, a jeweled finger jabbing at the tub.

"I'm sorry, I know it's a bathtub," said Lucy, her hands raised palm-up in a peace gesture, "Its just that, I'm in a tough spot and I figured you'd be the best spirit to ask for help."

This statement did nothing to appease the water spirit, whose unhappy demeanor was beginning to turn the water in the bathtub to ice. "You're in a tough spot? It still doesn't make up for the fact that this water has HAIR in it and is that soap scum? I can't belie—"

"I know! I promise I'll never do it again, its just that I didn't know what to do and he—" said Lucy, bracing for a tidal wave to come straight at her.

Suddenly, the waves seemed to be a teeny bit not as violent. "…_he_?" said Aquarius, one perfectly arched eyebrow raised.

"Err, yes. He. Him," stammered Lucy, who was a bad combination of cold and nervous.

"Boy troubles?" Aquarius sounded incredulous. And then, to Lucy's extreme amazement, the storm began to fade. The water defrosted and retreated back into the tub and the sneer on the Spirit's pretty mouth had literally turned upside down into something non-threatening. And friendly. Lucy was rather shocked.

"Why didn't you just say so?" said Aquarius, balancing on her gourd like a stool, "Come now, tell Big Sis all your problems! I'll help you wash them all away."

Lucy swore she heard a little tee-hee and after lots of encouragement, she found herself sitting crossed legged on her bathroom counter. It was actually very…pleasant. Aquarius had warmed the water in the tub and the effect had almost given the tiny bathroom a spa-like atmosphere. "So?" she said in sing-song voice, " What's up?"

Lucy took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you about…Loki."

"Of course! What do you wanna know?"

"It's just that…someone 'warned' me about him," said Lucy, her shoulders drooping, "And its not like I can totally disregard the warning, even within Fairy Tail! He's got quite the reputation regarding him and girls."

"Oh, that whole girlfriend harem thing he had? No worries about that," said Aquarius, rolling her eyes, "I think it was just a ploy to fool the mortals that he was one of them."

This didn't settle too well with Lucy, who was having an 'a-ha, that's right. He's not exactly…human' moment.

Seeing her master's face color into an unpleasant shade of grey, Aquarius quickly tried to change the subject. "Well, okay, err…um. What kind of warning was it? Like 'watch out! You'll catch something'? Or-"

"Watch out, I don't want you to get hurt," said Lucy. It came out rather toneless, almost devoid of emotion. It was strange, to Lucy, because it was practically the opposite of what she felt like—the emotion within her was so strong (and confused), it was almost overwhelming.

"Oh." The two of them sat in silence for a moment, before the mermaid took a deep breath, sighing it out in a forceful, salty gust, "I see. So that's what this is all about."

Lucy looked up, one eyebrow raised. "What?"

The smile upon Aquarius' face was curved into something sad yet understanding. "It's about the bonding." She flicked her tail and suddenly, golden lights began to stream through the water, illuminating a circle split into 12 equal pieces. Within each slice there was a gleaming symbol, which Lucy knew to represent each member of the zodiac.

"Alright. So, here's my crash course of the noble houses of the spirit world," said Aquarius, who pointed at her diagram, "I am a member of the Eleventh house. Actually, when you say, 'Aquarius,' you are referring to anyone from my house."

"So it's like a title?" Lucy asked, looking up. Her summoning instructor had never taught her any of this. "I should call you by your—"

"Nah, no worries. I've been Aquarius for such a long time, it's grown on me. My mother used to answer to our golden key and if my boyfriend ever proposes, my little sister will probably replace me. She turned two-thousand and fourteen last month, I think she's old enough by now."

There was a lot of eye lash batting as the image of a handsome man who had died half of his white cropped hair red appeared on the surface of the water. 'Ah, that's right,' thought Lucy. She mentally catalogued her collection of golden keys, 'She's dating Scorpio.'

"Isn't he gorrrgeous? Tee hee. But anyway, so once upon a time, the houses were all at war with each other. The Spirit King put a stop to it by bonding the houses to each other, giving our world the peace it's had for the past couple millennia."

"Wait, _bonding_. That's the word she told me. What do you mean by '_bonding_'?" For some reason, images of a troubled Aries kept flashing through Lucy's mind.

"Its like the houses were paired up by their rivalries. It was pretty much a 'we'll marry our kids and stop spending gold on killing each other' kinda deal."

Lucy looked up at her wrinkled toes. "Basically like an arranged marriage?"

"Yep. Sucks, doesn't it? Lucky for me, my older brothers got stuck with it. My new sister-in-laws are Gemini. Twins," said Aquarius, wiggling her eyebrows," I'm free to marry whomever I want and it's gonna be Scorpie!" She sang it in a sing-song voice, grinning from ear to ear as she tucked a lotus blossom behind her ear.

Lucy nodded in understanding. "I get it. So Loki is…"

"Kind of off the spirit world market," said the mermaid, smiling sadly, "He's the eldest son of the Fifth house and the best of them too. They call him, 'the Prince.' It was considered a tragedy when he disappeared into the human world for a couple of years, but he's back now and _oh dear me_, his betrothed, why she? _She_ was the most delighted of all."

It was the way her spirit pretty much spat the word that tipped Lucy off. "Betrothed…" It left a slight acidic taste in her mouth.

"Yep. Priscilla the White, the jewel of the First house."

"First…" Lucy was intently studying the diagram etched into the pool of her bathroom floor. "That must mean she's from the house of the…Ram?"

Aquarius nodded. "Mmhmm. She's Aries' older sister."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope that wasn't too long of a wait! Nothing happened that much this chapter for 'action,' I guess I was in a 'dialogue' kind of mood. What's up, lovelies, what do you think?

***EDIT. Thank you to all you who saw that Aquarius' boyfriend was not a figment of my imagination called Henri. He is actually one of Lucy's spirits: Scorpio. Eighth house, if you were wondering. THANK YOU! I totally forgot. Writing fail. I owe you guys.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Whenever Lucy was stressed, she always found herself looking at the stars. Ever since she could remember, it was often one of the few things that helped her relax. There was one particular time—she was six. Her father had been harsh on poor Lucy, and she had fled the room in tears. Her mother had found her, an hour later, curled up in a mountain of cushions on the balcony, staring up at the sky.

So, the logical place to find Lucy that night was on the roof. She had crawled out from one of the windows and had settled herself on a flatter section of the roof, bundled up in an old hoodie. She was on the side of the apartment that looked away from the city—that way, the flashy neon lights of Magnolia didn't drown out the stars.

Lucy uncomfortably rolled her shoulders backwards, wincing as something gave way and cracked. Ahh, that talk with Aquarius was like a double-edged sword: EXTREMELY helpful but it had been so very stressful as well. At least now, she knew what she was dealing with.

Or whom, rather.

"Priscilla the White," Aquarius had said earlier that night, "I bet she was named after Snow White. You know, the princess? Pretty and innocent looking with her juicy, blood-red lips…except Priscilla can cut you up into a million pieces before you can even blink. All without batting a perfectly curled eyelash."

Lucy had the impression that Priscilla was like a spirit version of Erza—a fierce, talented warrior queen who would often confused with being a supermodel. Oh, and no surprise! She was kind and animals loved her.

"Seriously. I didn't even have a chance," sighed Lucy. Well, wasn't it for the best? Who was she, a lowly spirit mage, to mess around with a spirit bonding—a tradition that had been carried out for centuries?

Then, for some reason, all she could think about was the beach. That night…was it that long ago? She had been lying in his arms and that kiss, no matter how brief it was, had sent a spark shooting down her spine. They might not have had centuries together but it definitely seemed as if they had chemistry.

All this thinking was giving Lucy a migraine. She groaned, both hands covering her ears as if she could block the world out. The worst of it was that she had this choking feeling in the middle of her chest. It felt like a ball of nervous energy was just straining to escape her ribcage. She had been groaning to herself when she felt the ground move, shifting ever so slightly under someone who knew how to walk on the balls of his feet. Someone else was on the roof and Lucy had a good feeling that she knew who it would be.

"You…alright?" asked Loki tentatively, settling into a crouch a respectable distance away from his owner. He was dressed in what he liked to think of as 'civilian' clothes—a favorite t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. Even well-dressed Leos enjoyed a break from their manes and Italian suits sometimes.

Lucy, being in the mood that she was in, just stared at him blankly, frowning slightly. Both of her hands were still cupping her face as she answered in a drab voice, "Yeah. I'm alright."

Loki nodded knowingly. "Mmhmm. I can tell. Guess that wave of distress that was emitting from here wasn't from you then, was it."

"Hey, mister. Don't get all sarcastic on me, I didn't call you here. You just showed up. On your OWN."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Loki was quiet. He observed her for a moment—the slouch in her posture, eyebrows furrowed—before pulling the black frames off of his face, shoving them into his pocket. "I know just the thing!"

"…whaat," mumbled Lucy.

"Come here, I wanna show you something," said Loki, standing up. He reached out his hand and gestured for her to take it. When she snubbed him, bounded right up to her, trying to pull her up by her armpits. Almost automatically, Lucy began to complain until he held up one finger in front of her face, shushing her to be quiet. "I have two options for you," he said, "You can mope around here by yourself or you can come with me and feel better. Which one do you pick?"

Lucy was in such a grumpy mood, she had half a mind to stay on the roof and wallow in self-pity.

"As friends. I promise. Not as owner and master, or anything else. Just friends," said Loki, reaching his hand out again.

She sat for a moment thinking. Then in a flurry of activity, she quickly tied her sneakers. She reached up to grab his hand, using him as leverage to stand. "Fine," she sniffed, brushing her bangs out of her face, "But no funny business."

"Roger that," said Loki. He was grinning because he knew that just convincing Lucy was half the battle in changing her mood. So with a bit of spring in his step, he led them to the edge of the rooftop.

She knew it would make it worse but Lucy couldn't help herself—she looked straight down. The backside of her apartment faced the canal so if she fell off, it would be a 3 story drop into icy cold river water. She was very content to stand on the roof until she noticed that her spirit was dangling one sneaker off of the edge. "Oh, you can't be serious," she exclaimed.

"What do you mean? " said Loki, mischievous as always. He maneuvered her grip so that her arm was firmly hooked with his. "You just gotta trust me."

"Err—"

"So? Do you?"

Lucy could feel his weight shifting and she quickly leaned back, all the while imagining what eggs look like when they're dropped off balconies for science projects. Not helpful. "Well, yeah, but—"

"Kay." And with that simple word (and a stupid grin that Lucy was so torn on liking or hating), Loki simply leaned off the edge of the roof, pulling his unwilling master with him.

* * *

Lucy's eyes were closed shut as she screamed, like as always, because the first feeling of weightlessness always unnerved her. But thankfully, the feeling of falling helplessly through the air ended as her feet connected with something hard and stable. She felt Loki calmly unlatch her death grip from his arm.

Slowly opening one eye, Lucy exhaled the nervous breath she was holding. It seemed she was somewhere with maple flooring, a few handsome rugs here and there, and oh heavens—an entire balcony with a breathtaking view of…space?

"What is this place?" she gasped, mesmerized by the view. It was literally like having a front-row seat to the galaxy. It was like a sea of stars—winking glowing lights caught in a net of water that was navy blue in some areas, soft pink in others.

"Welcome, my lady, to my humble abode," said Loki, amused. "Humans like views of beaches or mountains. We spirits kinda prefer the stars."

Lucy was speechless. Her eyes were as big as saucers and her mouth hung open in amazement. "Oh Loki, this is…"

Loki crossed his arms. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

"See? You should listen to me more often," he chuckled. He padded forward to slide open the glass doors to the balcony before gesturing her forward. "Especially on missions."

"Oh please, we only did a couple so far," snorted Lucy, following him outside. She stepped out tentatively, expecting the gravity to disappear suddenly, but it was safe to walk.

"But don't you know by now that Loki knows best? I've got eons of experience, my dear," said Loki, leaning against the railing.

"Whaaat? I've got intuition. Gut feeling trumps experience sometimes, old man." Lucy grinned, stepping up to the rail to peek over it. It was like an endless void of blackness but in the corner of her vision, she could make out the outline of a dark green planet. It's moons helped illuminate Loki's balcony.

"Old? I can't believe you actually called me old," said Loki, feigning a broken heart, "I barely look a day over twenty five!"

Lucy laughed. This was…nice. One, there was a GORGEOUS VIEW. Two, this easy-going banter was fun! This was the first time since the beach that she felt comfortable around him—not threatened by his past and her future. It was as if all that drama didn't matter—it was just the two of them, right now. Here. So it was no surprise that after an hour of playful debating (it only felt like minutes!), they had drifted closer together-so close their elbows were almost rubbing.

Loki leveled his gaze at her, extending one hand out for a truce. His eyes were just like a lion's, thought Lucy as she shook his hand. They were a shade of deep amber, darker around the edges but flecked here and there with slivers of gold. She knew it was rather cliché, but Lucy felt she could practically lose herself in his eyes. And then Loki made it worse for poor Lucy—he nodded, then kissed her hand.

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "Ooh, that was mean."

An eyebrow raised. "Mean? I don't follow."

"That," Lucy gestured at her hand, "Was so old school. Who the hell does that anymore? Nowadays, it's all ass grabbing and oogling and-"

"…I still don't follow."

Lucy jabbed a finger into his shirt. It wasn't a forceful gesture, less of a jab and more of a poke, but the rest of her palm opened up until it had spread on his chest. "You know I like old school," Lucy mumbled.

"I told you, silly girl," said Loki, "I know." Very casually, he leaned forward and with his free hand, he tilted her chin up until their lips met. Much to his surprise (and perhaps her own), she kissed him first. She kissed him slowly but confidently—no hesitation. There was a friction between their lips, slight but enough to warm them. There was deepness to the way their lips matched, and they could both feel the need yet nothing was rushed. It was gentle. In the back of Lucy's mind, a noise echoed faintly, she swore it as sounded like a 'clink,' but she was quickly distracted when their lips parted.

"You know," mused Loki, as they broke apart, "I'd say that was our first kiss."

"What do you mean? You've kissed me loads of times before," blushed Lucy, who was both mortified and proud that she had the guts to lean over and kiss him like that.

"Yeah I know," he reached over to tuck her hair over her ear, "But I'd say that was the first time it was…reciprocal? Its always me kissing you and then you just do it because I'm doing it. This time, it felt like you meant it."

"I did mean it." Inwardly, Lucy was secretly swooning (not like she would admit it, but still.)

"I know." He smiled. It was a different kind of smile—it wasn't predatory like on a mission or triumphant like when he outsmarted someone. It was simple. He was happy.

It was nice just to look at him but the sight was being ruined by a sharp light shining behind them. Lucy squinted and she could tell it was a star emitting a bright, white light that pulsed slightly. Loki turned and the smile on his face turned into a grimace—suddenly he looked tired. "Well, it's a day of firsts, don't you think?"

"…Firsts?" Lucy was absolutely sure that the white supernova was getting closer.

"Yep. You saw my place for the first time, we genuinely shared our first kiss, and now it looks like you'll have your first meeting with Priscilla the White."

* * *

**A/N**: Have any of you ever read the Hunger Games series? It was so like Battle Royale (That Japanese movie from the 90s) but I liked the way Suzanne Collins (sp) writes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lucy was torn.

She had good reason to be! In her mind, there were two very different paths she could make and they were both very clear-cut. The first one was simple. She could run. She could force Loki to 'return' back to her world and she would be back home—all in one piece—in a jiffy. In the second option, she could stay and take her chances with Priscilla, but a favorable outcome seemed to be very slim…

"So? Have you decided?" asked Loki. He had turned towards her, awaiting her decision, but was still casually leaning against the rail. To Lucy, he seemed way too calm for this sort of situation.

"I've decided…that I'm not a coward," said Lucy, determined to keep her voice from wavering. Still, she couldn't take her eyes off the shining light that seemed to be moving closer and closer.

"You sure? I'd say you still have about 10 se—"

"I'm sure." She took a deep breath to stabilize herself. 'I can do this, I can do this,' she chanted inwardly to herself, curling her palms into tight balls. She wasn't going to back down and this definitely seemed like a "now or never" moment.

The corner of Loki's lips curved upwards into a grin of approval. "'Atta girl."

Suddenly, there was a faint pop as the brilliant star seemed to wink out of the sky, leaving a halo of light in its place. Lucy began to imagine herself being hacked into pieces...and then, the balcony door began to slide open. Two hands began to spread the doors apart, their fire-engine red nails glinting brightly in the starlight. The toe of a black leather boot eased out, its 4 inch stiletto heel making a slight click on the wooden deck as a shapely leg followed.

"Priscilla," said Loki. There was a hint of disinterest in his voice but it was suavely hidden. "Long time no see."

"I know! " said Priscilla, finally emerging onto the balcony. She had long, gleaming, platinum blond hair that she wore loosely draped around her shoulders. Her legs were sheathed in tight, white pants and she wore a thin jacket that seemed to be lined in fleece (This seemed to be the trademark of their house). Her lips were painted bright red, but what was most curious about them was that they were pulled up what seemed to be a genuine smile. "Seriously, Loki. Its been so long, I promised the next time I sensed you near, I'd come and say hello! I can't stay too long, I'm late for a strategy briefing." Priscilla turned a questioning gaze towards Lucy. "Oh? Who is this?"

"Priscilla, meet Lucy, my owner. Luce, this is Priscilla the White, of the First House."

"Oh, that's too formal," said Priscilla, who was instantly shaking Lucy's hand, "Lucy, no one calls me that except Loki and my father. My friends call me Cilla."

"Err—nice to meet you," said Lucy. It was so strange…she had been psyching herself to do battle with this woman but she seemed so nice! If they had met another way, she would have thought that the two of them could have been friends.

"You do know she's not supposed to be here, with the magic law and everything," said Cilla, frowning slightly, "Its rather hazardous for her health."

"We're within the time limit," said Loki, "Plus, I had to show her the view."

"True! You'll be okay, Lucy. Plus, I'll speak to Father and maybe I can finagle a pass or a visa of some sorts. Sound good?" Cilla winked, waving her hands in excitement. Lucy couldn't help but notice the giant diamond on the spirit's ring finger.

Cilla dropped into a low crouch. "Oh! And once you gain permission for a longer stay in our world, you have to come over for tea, alright?"

"Sure," said Lucy, who couldn't help but smile a little.

"Alrighties then, ciao," said Cilla the White, and she vanished into a cloud of sparkling white dust. Lucy heard the popping again and in the distance, a white star blinked back into existence, speeding quickly across the night sky.

"Wow," said Lucy, who was actually rather speechless, "She seems…"

"Conniving. Manipulative. Fake," said Loki. The words rolled smoothly off his tongue but it was as if he spat them.

"What? Really? But she just seems so—"

"Never let yourself be alone with her, do you understand me?" he said rather gruffly, taking her by the hand and pulling her back inside the apartment. He quickly shut the balcony door and closed the shutters. "She's not who she seems to be."

"I won't. What did she do to ma—" said Lucy, but she was instantly overcome with a mind-wracking headache. She was instantly disoriented and before she knew it, she was overcome with vertigo and sensed that she was falling. Before her head smacked into the floors, strong arms grasped her shoulders. She could hear him saying something urgent but it was muffled, and everything was starting to fade into white…

* * *

"UGH," groaned Lucy. She was stretched out on her couch with what felt like the worst hangover she'd ever experienced. Her head pounded and her stomach was unsettled. What a crazy night! Except she didn't remember drinking anything at all… Suddenly, it came back to her—the stars, Loki, Priscilla, fainting. Lucy bolted upwards, then instantly regretted it. She groaned some more as she gently eased herself down.

"It's the consequences of the magic law," said someone in her kitchen. It was a familiar male voice, not Loki's or Natsu's, and it had a rather scholarly tone to it. "You'll have the worst headache imaginable but it won't kill you.

"…Sagittarius? Is that you?" said Lucy. It must be him, she thought, because there was a bow and arrow hanging on her coat rack.

"Yes." A giant horse head peeked at her from behind the fridge. "Loki asked me to fix you up, he went back to the spirit world for some business."

"Oh thank the heavens, there's a cure?" Lucy cried out in relief, listening to the clinking of a wooden spoon stirring something in a pot.

"Well, not quite. This will help ease your discomfort, it's going to have to pass on its own," he said, coming over with a spoon and a bowl of soup that smelled faintly of carrots. Lucy was amused that he was wearing her apron.

"So why do I feel like this?" she winced, taking a sip. Yech. It might smell pleasant but it still tasted undeniably like a tonic.

Sagittarius dutifully presented her with another spoonful. "The magic law. Humans are not allowed in the spirit world and the longer you stay, the worse you feel. How long were you there?"

"I dunno. An hour?" She really didn't want to take any more of this horrible concoction but Lucy could feel her headache starting to fade.

"That's pretty long," mused the centaur spirit, "If you had a pass, you could stay in the spirit world for about a day at a time. No human has earned one in the past thousand years, though."

Lucy instantly thought of long blond hair and fleece. "Oh! Priscilla—Cilla said she was going to get one for me. I don't know why she'd go out of her way to do that, though."

Sagittarius faltered momentarily, "You met Priscilla the White? And Loki was there?" His reaction seemed to be a mixture of shock, awe, and…pity?

"Yes. She seemed really nice, but Loki said she was fake and that I should never be alone with her."

The horse head nodded. "Mmm, yes. The Ram and the Lion have always had a complicated history and that was BEFORE Priscilla and Loki."

"What?" Lucy eased herself upwards, intrigued by this new development. Perhaps this was the key to solving the puzzle?

Sagittarius was openly hesitant. "I'm not sure this is something we should discuss…"

"Please, its important. No one will tell me anything and I feel like I need to know what I'm up against."

He paused. "You have feelings for him, and they are real. Genuine."

Lucy didn't have to think twice. "Yes."

Sagittarius sighed. "Alright. We of the Ninth house have always been loyal to the Leo, and you have always been a good owner to me. AND I guess it is better you hear this from me instead of that gossip, Aquarius."

"Thank you," said Lucy. She finally felt like she was getting somewhere!

"Well, as you know, once all of the noble houses were at war," the Archer started, untying the apron, "It was a civil war within this galaxy and it was every house for itself. Suddenly, a child appeared on the field one day. She was clad in white and couldn't have been more then sixteen. She stood before us all and declared that there had been too much bloodshed; refusing to fight against the one she called her true love-a boy from her rival's house. The Spirit King was moved enough to step in. He bonded the houses together, and so forth."

"Wait, Aquarius explained that to me, but she made it seem like it was generations ago."

Sagittarius nodded. "It was. We are spirits. We do 'age' in a sense, but it happens very slowly."

Lucy had a strange feeling in her stomach and she was quite sure that it wasn't from the aftereffects of the law. "Let me guess. That was Cilla, wasn't it." She was picturing a girl, slim and beautiful in armor. Her rapier had been thrown on the side, hastily discarded. She was crying at the feet of a young man. He was also armor-clad, and on his finger there was a brilliant ruby.

"Yes."

Lucy closed her eyes, knowing the truth in her heart. "And her true love…" In her mind, she could see the face of that young man. His eyes were intense, a dark shade of amber and he seemed to have a mane of hair like a Lion. "…it was Loki, right?"

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry for all the [imaginary] history lessons! I'll try to stop now. x_X


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"So…let me get this straight. Priscilla and Loki ended a galaxy-wide war with their…_love_…for each other," said Lucy. Her words dripped with sarcasm, especially centered around the word, 'love.' It was midday and she was lying on her couch, propped up on cushions as she recovered from the after-effects of a short excursion to the Spirit World.

Sagittarius, her history teacher of the moment, was sitting in an armchair to her right, his arms crossed as he looked up at the ceiling in thought. "Err, not quite. I don't believe he was actually in love with during the war, he was just caught up in the politics of it all. If I remember correctly it goes like this: the war ends. Priscilla, Loki, and the rest of the nobles get paired up for marriage."

Lucy rolled her eyes, collapsing back into her sofa. She honestly didn't want to hear any more.

The Archer droned on monotonously. "Some houses complete their bonding, such as Aquarius and Gemini. Members of each House do not necessarily HAVE to bond with their respective rivals, as long as there is one active bond."

This really was becoming too much for Lucy. Feeling quite overwhelmed, she dramatically covered her eyes with her palms.

"But here, Lucy, is the kicker," said Sagittarius, leaning forward conspiratorially, "To the delight of the spirit world, Loki eventually DOES fall in love with Priscilla, the White, as she becomes known, from the white armor she wore on that fateful day. However, he discovers that the entire charade has been an act! Her parents, the current warlords, developed the scheme for her to carry out because the House of Leo was on the verge of toppling them."

Lucy snapped to attention, feeling a chill go up her spine. "What? She lied?"

Sagittarius nodded. "They had grown to the human equivalent of 21 by the time he found out. I estimate that at least a couple hundred years had gone by? She covered it up very well, claiming that although it made good political sense, she really did love him. And it didn't help that the public adored her."

"…she broke his heart," whispered Lucy.

"Unfortunately," nodded the spirit, "He was devastated. To follow the law, Loki's eldest brother wed one of the Ram sisters. However, because theirs is one of the original ones, Loki and Priscilla remain bonded. She continues to pursue him but he rebuffs her at every instance. The end." He closed his palms like a book.

Lucy looked at her storyteller with sad eyes. "That's just so…its horrible."

Sagittarius was quiet for a moment, reaching up to scratch the ears of the horse. "He has been happy, with you."

"You think so?" She smiled a half smile, thinking ruefully of the past couple instances when she had been rather rude to him.

"Yes. I haven't seen him smile like this in a long time. Millennia, even," he said, bending so that the nose of the horse kissed Lucy's forehead (she couldn't decide if this was extremely odd or extremely sweet), "Please take care of him."

Lucy couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry, I will."

Something made a jingling noise from a pack on the Archer's side and he took out something that was curiously like a cell phone. With his customary, "Hello, hello," he excused himself for a moment, returning to the room to retrieve his belongings. "Will you be alright, Lucy? It seems like I have an errand to run," he said as he fumbled with the leather straps of his quiver.

"I'm fine, thank you," said Lucy, and with a snappy salute, Sagittarius disappeared with a flash of orange light.

* * *

Lucy felt very, very, drained.

From past experience, she knew that the feeling was associated with two things: Natsu and Happy would be climbing through her window…or that more spirits would be materializing in her kitchen. So when Lucy's 'spirit sense' went off and a familiar storm of glowing light began to form in her apartment, she was not surprised at all. (Looking on the bright side, at least the spirits were 'summoning themselves' and not draining her stores of magical power.)

The light flashed gold for an instance and Loki appeared, materializing in more of his civilian clothes. He wore his familiar, hunter green army jacket slung over his shoulder and had brought a duffel bag which seemed to be stuffed rather full.

"Hey," he said, dropping the bag to crouch near the sofa, "How're you holding up?"

"Mmm, I'm alright," said Lucy, her fingers automatically curling around the fur trim, "That thing Sagittarius gave me wasn't pleasant but it seems like it's working."

"Ah, the thing that smells like carrots? Its nasty but it does the trick," said Loki, grinning as he pulled the wire frames off of his nose.

Lucy grinned back. "So what're you up to? Sagittarius said you had some urgent business to attend to."

"Finished. I work fast," he winked, "And now I'm here to pick you up. We're going."

Lucy's stomach instantly flipped around, remembering all of the unpleasantries from her last visit to the Spirit World. She pushed herself to a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. "I don't know, Loki. I don't think I can handle any more of that carrot—"

Loki laughed as he interrupted her protest, pulling her gently to her feet. "No worries. We're going to do it the human way—a train." He raised his hands in mock excitement.

"A train?" Lucy raised an eyebrow as she stretched. No matter how peculiar it tasted, she made a mental note to herself to ALWAYS finish the Archer's tonic. It seemed like she was at full-strength! She felt no dizziness what so ever. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"It's a surprise! Don't you feel like you just want to…I don't know. Get away?" Loki shrugged his shoulders. "From everyone, at least for a moment?"

"YES. THANK YOU. That's _exactly_ how I feel," said Lucy, feeling relieved. A vacation away from _everything_ sounded just what the doctor ordered to preserve whatever sanity she had left. "I don't even know what to pack."

Hoisting the duffel bag over his shoulder, Loki steered his master towards her shoe rack. "Virgo packed you some stuff, just put on some shoes and a coat. Quickly please, our train leaves in about…" He glanced at the timepiece on his wrist, "…15 minutes."

"15 minutes, are you kidding me? Crap, we've got to run," gasped Lucy, snatching her coat and pulling on a pair of cognac colored riding boots, "Are we going to make it?"

* * *

They did make it, but just barely. The doors had nearly squished poor Lucy after their daring leap onto the train. Thankfully, the car that they had randomly picked was quite empty and they were able to secure a vacant compartment for themselves.

Lucy had fallen asleep almost as soon as they had gotten settled. She was exhausted. Her head was nestled on his shoulder and he had draped her snow-white jacket across her body.

Ever so gently, he softly brushed her fair hair out of her face. It was kind of a relief to see her looking so peaceful, even if it was only in sleep. The last couple hours must have been pretty stressful for her, he thought, especially since she had barely a day of rest since the mission they barely finished. Loki felt guilty putting her on the road again but honestly, he wasn't sure if they'd get another chance like this—just the two of them, no one else.

He smiled ruefully. She had fallen asleep with their hands clasped together.

Loki raised his hand up—the one that was holding hers—to look at the ring on his index finger. It was a thick ring cast in heavy gold and it was set with a blood-red ruby. The symbol for his house was engraved on each side. It had been his father's ring. Honestly, he had no idea why he had it—hadn't he disgraced the family when he refused to marry Priscilla? His eldest brother, Baldr, should have gotten it after he married the Ram sister, but his father had insisted that Loki kept it. Every Leo wore a ruby of some sorts, but this ruby ring was practically the family treasure.

"I'd give up…anything, for you," he said softly, into her hair. Light from the ruby flickered in his eyes. "Anything."

* * *

Lucy woke up as the train came to a stop. Groggily pulling on her jacket, she allowed her still sleepy self to be led out of their compartment and off of the train. It wasn't until she was standing on the platform, the caboose a speck in the distance, that she realized that she seemed to be…in the middle of nowhere.

She glanced around warily—the only other people at the station seemed to be an elderly couple getting into the oldest rusty pickup she'd ever seen. There wasn't even a ticket booth! In fact, there weren't any buildings near the platform, only trees displaying their autumn best.

"Hey, um…Loki," said Lucy, following her spirit as he began to walk, "Where exactly are we?"

He glanced back at her over his shoulder, that stupid grin on his face that made her weak in the knees. "Loiret. It's a small farming town about seven hours from the city."

"Seven hours? Are you serious, I slept for that long?" Not to be superficial, but Lucy couldn't help but picture the sorry state that her hair was in.

The leaves made a satisfying crunch under their boots as they walked, and they eventually made their way into the main part of town. It was a quiet place—all of the buildings were older but were well looked after. It reminded Lucy of coming home to a neighborhood full of grandparents.

Loki led them around a corner, stopping at series of big storage doors. "Here we are," he whistled to himself as he opened the lock, bending down to lift up the old metal panel. Lucy peered inside, ignoring the dust that swirled around as a breeze blew through. It was clear that this unit hadn't seen fresh air for quite some time. The storage unit was devoid of contents, except for something in the middle, covered with a giant, oil-stained cloth. Gleefully, Loki pulled it off like a magician whipping a tablecloth from a table without disturbing the beautiful rose on top. "Ta-da," he said, smiling proudly.

It was a motorcycle. Once upon a time, the bike had been all shiny wheels and gleaming black paint but time had tarnished the finish, leaving it with a charming, vintage patina. Loki's smile grew even bigger as he discovered that although decades had past, the engine roared youthfully.

"Nice bike," said Lucy, a puzzled smile on her face. Where exactly where they going to drive it? Maybe…to the end of the village and back?

"My pride and joy," said Loki, revving the engine. Satisfied, he sat up, held up his hand, and dropped something from his closed fist—an old brass key dangling from a chain. "Aren't you going to get on? We've got somewhere to be."

* * *

**A/N: **Loivet is a real area in France. And I promise! Now that everything is more or less set up, I think we can have more Loki/Lucy. What do you guys think? Yes, no, maybe so...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Seriously," said Lucy, in awe as she spun in a loose circle, "How did you find this place?"

Loki chucked as he walked the bike into a small shed, lovingly covering it once again by a thick, heavy cloth. "By chance, actually. As a teenager, I was a bad kid. I think I broke something important once? My father cast me out into the human world for a couple months to teach me a lesson and I ended up here."

Lucy made a funny smile. "Punishment for me was a broom closet," she said matter-of-factly, "Definitely not a place like _this_…" She flung her arms out, gesturing at their surroundings. Although the motorcycle ride was short, it was twilight by the time they had reached their destination. The bike had brought them through empty fields and a dark forest or two, finally bringing them to a beautiful lake, quiet in its isolation. There was one lonely cabin on the shoreline, with an unparalleled view of the neighboring snowcapped mountain—this was to be their home for the weekend.

"I think he was aiming for there instead," said Loki, pointing at the very top of the mountain. It seemed like a very lonely and desolate place. "But its alright. I've kept coming back here whenever I needed to get away, to think or whatever."

Nodding, Lucy pointed at the cabin. It was a beautiful, small wooden building that seemed well-taken care of but it was clear that no one had lived in it for a while. "So you were lucky enough to stumble on someone's…really fancy fishing hut?"

"No, actually," said Loki picking up their bags and walking up the stairs to the front door, "I built this place with my own two hands! Not bad, eh?"

"I'm sorry if I don't believe you," she said as she followed him inside, trying her hardest not to gape at the interior. Having been raised as a Heartphilia, Lucy was proud to know that she could spot quality when she saw it, and she was definitely looking at it. The cabin was essentially a huge studio built with the highest level of craftmanship—huge, picture windows took up one wall and there was a very modern kitchen in one corner. A fireplace was recessed into a wall next to an opening which snaked towards the closets and bathroom.

Loki rolled his eyes as he put their stuff down, shrugging out of his jacket and walking into the kitchen. "Time isn't really an issue, for spirits. I had a lot of time to perfect my technique. A _lot_ of time."

"So what," teased Lucy as she sank into one of the sofas, holding up a pillow, "In all your years, perfecting your technique, did you sew these too?"

"Maybe." That smug grin was back. "Actually, from what I've been told, I've learned to do something else extremely well…"

A smile started to spread on Lucy's face, turning into something sweet that was also what Mirajane called, 'impish.' "Oh reaaaaaaally," she said, raising one eyebrow.

A box of noodles was instantly thrown at her head. "Hey you, get your mind out of the gutter," he scolded.

Lucy giggled as she followed him into the kitchen. "You set yourself up for that one." She clapped her hands, as she saw the ingredients that he was pulling out of the surprisingly well-stocked cabinets—It looked like he was going to make lasagna!

Loki pointed a silicon spatula at her, shaking it in a threatening manner. "If you say, 'that's what she said,' you cook your own dinner."

* * *

Lucy, who had a fondness for all foods Italian, was in heaven. Not only had he cooked for her, he had given her an impromptu cooking lesson in which she could show off at the next Fairy Tail stay-home girls night, which proved that not only was he an amazing cook (he wasn't kidding, his food was literally to die for), he was also a stellar teacher.

After dinner, she had received a quick tour of cabin, which included a lengthy rundown of long it took Loki to build each part (Lucy stood with her arms crossed. "Really…it took 10 years just to build this coffee table?" Loki lovingly caressed the wood surface, "Yes! Look, it's a perfect right angle. Isn't it beautiful?" The '…' above Lucy's head were almost visible.)

Once Lucy remembered that she wasn't in a fancy hotel ("OMG the bathroom is so pretty"), she had taken a quick shower. It was currently Loki's turn in the bathroom, and she stood at the window, admiring the view.

Before she could get lost in her thoughts, Lucy heard the slight hiss of steam as the bathroom door opened. Lucy turned toward the sound as Loki turned the corner—hair toweled dry but damp, and wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

Lucy didn't notice the color creeping up her cheeks (or that she was staring) until Loki made a funny face, leaning over to grab a cotton t-shirt from one of the bags. "You alright? Something on my nose?"

"Oh, err…yeah. I mean, nothing! You're okay. I'm, um…good." She turned around, half cursing herself for getting caught looking and half praising her luck. That must have the first time she'd seen him shirtless, he was always in a suit or civilian clothes or something. His form was lean, yet cut, like a jungle cat. He had toned muscles, functional not bulky, that allowed him to move fast yet be strong at the same time. It was very, very nice to look at.

"So anyway, its past midnight, are you tired?" He very distractedly stood up straight, ruffling his hair.

"Oh, um…actually… yeah. I'm pretty beat," said Lucy, after some thought. Although she hadn't realized that time had passed so quickly, she felt the tendrils of fatigue creeping up on her. It had been a long day.

Loki snapped his fingers, "Alright. Ready for a magic trick?" As Lucy watched, he threw all the pillows off of the couch, pulling the frame of a fold out bed from the innards of the sofa.

Before Lucy could make a comment, Loki had held a hand up, disappearing around the corner. "I know you," he huffed, reappearing from the closet with a queen sized sofa, "I realize this is a hideaway bed, but don't judge until you feel this mattress."

Lucy wore a skeptical grin as she helped him make the bed, tucking the soft cotton sheets into place. Then, the moment of truth—she slowly lowered herself onto the bed.

"Oh, sweet…holy…wow. This is amazing," she uttered, at a lack of words. It literally felt like being enveloped on a cloud…except there was the right amount of support for her back. "Hey, don't tell me that you made this too."

Loki gently bopped her with a pillow as he sank into the bed himself, "Ah ha, you're so funny. Actually, I earned this! There's a family in the House of Gemini that is famous for making these mattresses. I don't even know what it's made of, but they are very hard to obtain. They say the Spirit King was on a waitlist for years to get one."

"Really? So what did you do to get yours?" Lucy was intrigued.

"I had to wander through this super isolated forest looking for a certain type of apple," explained Loki, making very big, animated hand gestures, "Apparently, the ladies of the house will do almost anything for one of those. I slept in a cave, cut my way through foliage and then three years later! I finally found it. It was worth it."

"Oh, yes," mumbled Lucy, who was drifting off into a dream in which she stole the mattress and took it home, "Very much worth it."

Sensing that sleep was soon upon her, Loki turned off the lights, allowing the room to be lit by the soft reflection of the moonlight on the lake. "Too bright?" he asked.

"Nah, this is perfect," said Lucy. She felt one of his arms snake under her head, propping her head up like a pillow. Everything just felt so natural, like she'd known him for a long while. Almost by instinct, she ran her fingers through his hair.

"You know, I've been watching you fight this internal struggle of yours for a while now," mused Loki thoughtfully, "Why the change of heart?"

Lucy thought for a moment. "It's like…when you try to convince your heart that it doesn't want something, even though you know it does. You can only fight it for so long, otherwise its like you're lying to yourself."

"So? What is this big revelation that your heart knows but your brain doesn't want to believe?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her cheek. The slight stubble on his chin sent a shiver down her spine.

"That I'm…" She stopped, embarrassed. "I don't know," she mumbled, turning her head away to stare at the lake.

"Oh come on. Say it." This time, he kissed her neck, right below her jawbone.

Lucy exhaled sharply. "Okay fine. I'm…" she paused, "I'm falling for you."

Loki laughed, very amused at her discomfort. "Oh really? Why such a dilemma?"

"The best way I can explain it is that feeling when you're in free fall. You know? You're just…falling," Lucy explained, her mouth set in a frown, "There's no gravity, you don't have any control. You don't know if someone'll be there to catch you at the bottom."

"Love, don't worry," he said, his lips on his collarbone, "I will always catch you if you fall."

Lucy felt like she should have felt touched at his words…but instead, she stifled a giggle. "That was kind of cheesy. Very sweet, but cheesy."

"Whaaat? I'm here, pouring my heart out to you and you're teasing me," said Loki, wearing a fake pout, "Why you—"

Lucy began to laugh as she felt fingers fly to her sides, seeking her ticklish spots. After defending herself from her attacker, they lay comfortably on the bed, his arms wrapped firmly around her middle. It felt like they'd been doing this for years.

"You know, I've never brought anyone else here," Loki mumbled into her hair. His eyes were closed and his face was relaxed.

"Ever? It's so beautiful here, you didn't want to show it off?" Lucy asked, as she stared at the moon. It shone bright and full in the sky, the stars clearly dotting the evening sky.

"No."

Lucy smiled. It felt nice, being the only person that he'd shared this place with—like sharing a secret. Then, she felt him fumbling with her fingers. At first, she thought he was intertwining them together, but she felt something slip onto one of them. It was warm and heavy metal…a ring? Lucy held her hand up to see what he had placed on her finger, blinking in her tiredness. The moonlight shining upon the giant ruby winked back.

* * *

**A/N: **I can't believe how many drafts I wrote of this. I would write one and save it on my external hard drive. And then a couple hours/days later, I could never open it! So frustrating!

I hear there have been categorizing problems? I'll look into it and hopefully get it fixed! :3


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Lucy was sitting at the guild bar, sipping from a tall glass of iced tea. She was so lost in thought, she was almost oblivious to the usual Fairy Tail hubbub behind her. As she thought, she absentmindedly twirled the ruby ring she wore on her thumb. It was a man's ring, heavy and far too big to wear on any other finger.

* * *

Several nights ago, it had been late when she felt him slip the ring onto her hand. She remembered that her eyes grew big when she realized what it was. She knew how important the ring was, especially to his House—Leos did not give their rings away willingly. What did he mean by putting it on her finger? Was he asking something of her?

"I'm not…I'm not asking you to promise me anything, " he had mumbled sleepily into her hair before adding the word "yet" with a chuckle, "It's just… I wanted to give you something of mine, so you know how strongly I feel about you."

"Loki, this is your...ring," said Lucy, "I can't take this, its too...important. Don't you need it?"

"Me? Nah. It looks so much better on you. It clashes with my eye color."

Lucy scoffed, a bit nervously. In her mind's eye, receiving a ring from the young man you liked involved a complicated affair with white dresses and flowers.

"So?"

Lucy looked once more at her hand. The metal felt warm against her skin, like it belonged there. Plus, she wasn't promising anything, right? "Alright," she said, turning over to nestle her head against his shoulder, "Thank you. I'll take care of it."

Her eyes were closed but she could tell that he was smiling.

* * *

"Ooh, nice ring," said Mirajane, coming over to refill Lucy's glass. She put the pitcher down on the counter to examine Lucy's finger more closely, "I know I've seen it before…Oh! Is that from who I think it's from?"

Lucy made a face. "Who? I dunno what you're talking about."

Mira's eyes grew wider as the pieces fit together in her mind. "REALLY?" she gasped in excitement, a huge grin spreading on her face, "When is the date? And where are you having it? You'll need some place really big if our whole guild is going to come. Do you have your dre—"

"Mira! It's not like that," sighed Lucy, who was rather embarrassed. She looked down, spreading out her fingers. "He just…let me wear it."

"Hmm, you've got skinny fingers," mused Mira. She strode down the bar, opening drawers as she passed. After rooting through a few, she exclaimed, "Ah ha!" and quickly trotted back. With Lucy's permission, the S-class mage took the ruby ring to string it on a long, gleaming silver chain.

"Here, try that," said Mira, handing it back to her friend with a wink, "That way it won't slip off your finger and you can tuck it into your top and hide it if need be."

* * *

After a quick jaunt to the market to pick up some groceries, Lucy was walking home along the canal. She hugged a brown paper bag with a loaf of French bread sticking out of the top closely as she precariously stepped along the wall. Toying with the ring as she waved to the fisherman, Lucy marveled at way the ruby sparkled in the sunlight. Just by looking at it, one would think it was a beautiful ring. The history and the significance of the ring made Lucy love the piece even more. Lucy was very glad to have the chain—it felt very secure on her neck and Mira was right, the length of the chain let her tuck it in her top (or as Mira had joked, between her breasts? So awkward but no one would know it was there!). The last thing Loki had done before returning to the Spirit World was to kiss Lucy goodbye, and teasingly say, "Don't lose it."

Just as Lucy stepped off the last stepping stone, she felt an ominous breeze blow through her hair, charged with spirit energy. Always alert, Lucy quickly turned around to face her threat, a key gripped firmly in her hand.

"Relax, Lucy," said Priscilla, who had materialized on the walkway. Her fleece lined jacket was gone—she was wearing a slim-fitting tank paired with tight white jeans. The golden bracelets stacked on both of the spirit's arms gleamed as she waved.

"Oh, Pri..I mean, Cilla, what's up?" said Lucy, flustered. Why was Priscilla here? Had Lucy unknowingly violated some Spirit World law?

Priscilla winked. "No worries, you're not in trouble. Father finally approved the visa and I wanted to give it to you personally."

"Thanks, that was err- really nice of you," said Lucy, who was having trouble thinking of a response. She took the "visa" – a little golden lock to be clipped onto her key-ring.

"No problem. But hey, what're you doing now? Are you busy?" Priscilla smiled expectantly at her, which reminded Lucy of a cat watching her prey walk into a trap. Her watching eyes made Lucy uncomfortable.

"Well, I just got back from the market," Lucy answered cautiously, hefting the groceries on her hip. She covertly slipped the ring between her breasts as she did so (Argh, she was wearing a flowy top so she couldn't just tuck it in. Mira was right!) "I've got ice cream to put in the—"

"Great! Come with me!" Priscilla suddenly lunged forward, her grip tightly latched on Lucy's forearm, causing her to drop the bag. Before Lucy could squeak out a protest, she felt the air change around her—Priscilla was performing a 'return'.

The bag of groceries landed on the sidewalk, spilling French bread and apples all over the sidewalk.

* * *

Lucy's journey into the spirit world was a rough one. With Priscilla, it felt like Lucy had been thrown into a dryer set on high-it was rough, nowhere near the experience she received when Loki was her partner.

Finally tumbling out of the cycle, Lucy landed rather clumsily in front of Priscilla, who was waiting for the spirit mage to regain her balance. Lucy was thrown off by her body language-with one hand on a jutting out hip, Lucy expected her to be sneering...but the smile on her face was warm. Perhaps deceptively so?

"Well? Do you like it? This is the home of the House of Aries," said Priscilla, spreading her arms out proudly. The pair was standing in front of a mansion of sorts, modern yet ancient looking at the same time. Lucy was instantly reminded of the Roman Coliseum.

"It's very breathtaking," Lucy answered truthfully as her eyes scanned the rest of the property. The physical House of Aries was certainly grandiose, and the rest of the estate was the same way. There was a perfectly manicured garden on one side and the other was home to a vast vineyard.

"It's the best of the Spirit World," said Priscilla, "Now come, I'd like to show you something." She gently took Lucy's hand (which was unexpected. Lucy was afraid that the spirit was going to latch her claws into her arm and drag her) and pulled her towards the house.

The house was even more beautiful on the inside—it effortlessly blended ancient and modern into one.

There were marble columns and lots of golden trim but it wasn't overly flashy. The entire property oozed power and wealth without gaudiness or tackiness of some that tried too hard. As she stepped through the foyer, Lucy couldn't help but be on edge. "Why is she showing me all of this?" she thought.

Suddenly, a familiar voice, or squeak rather, made Lucy jump. "Lucy! Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" said Aries, quickly padding down the marble staircase. Her voice rang with concern. "We have to get you out of here before-"

"Aries! There you are," said Priscilla, smiling again as she came to greet her sister, "I brought your owner over for a visit."

"I'm glad to see you, Lucy," squeaked Aries, "But is it okay for you to be here? With the laws and all? Maybe you should-"

"Oh nonsense," said Priscilla, waving her hand, "I worked it out with Father. Come Aries, you can come along as I give Lucy a tour."

Aries nodded, but as her large eyes connected with Lucy's, Lucy clearly saw the fear that resonated within her spirit-Aries was afraid for her.

Priscilla enthusiastically began to give Lucy a history of the noble House, pointing out various artifacts of importance as they walked through the expansive rooms and hallways. If this had been under different circumstances, Lucy would have been ecstatic to learn about one of most powerful spirit Houses! But her mind was on red alert-Aries was certainly loyal to Lucy, and the warnings she had given her owner meant Priscilla had something big and unpleasant up her sleeve. But what was it?

"And here, Lucy, is the biggest attraction of our house," Priscilla said, her voice cutting into Lucy's thoughts, "I assume that you are aware of the House of Aries' position in the Spirit World?"

Lucy felt Aries squeeze her hand, warning her of the danger. "The heads of the First house are...warlords. Strategic planners," recited Lucy, remembering her lessons.

"Quite right," Priscilla smiled again, "And because you're one of the most promising Stellar Spirit mages our world has seen in a long while, Father gave me special permission to show you our war room." With a flourish, she pushed open the heavy oak doors of the room. It was a classic executive meeting room, full of chairs and desks, but the centerpiece floated in the middle of the room-a giant display of the galaxy. It was beautiful, Lucy thought, as she scanned the galaxy. The principal constellations were outlined in gold and the miniature sun glowed brightly, illuminating the world. However, a giant cloud seemed to be moving through the stars, snuffing out their brilliant light.

"It isn't common knowledge to the humans yet, but the Spirit World is on the brink of war," said Priscilla. Her voice was suddenly all business; the warmness in her tone turned quickly into ice. "The enemy is a legion of spirits from a far off galaxy, but they're unlike anything we've ever fought before. They're faster, stronger, and a hell of a lot smarter."

"Will you be able to fight them off?" Lucy asked, extremely concerned. She had no idea that something so large of scale was happening!

"We are severely outnumbered but I think we have a fighting chance. The key to winning is the morale of our people-our bonded pairs need to rally their houses so that we can fight the threat united. This is what I need you to understand, Do you follow?" At first, Lucy's perception of the spirit was that of a friend. Lucy's image of Priscilla had quickly morphed into a ruthless military commander, ready to cut down anyone who stood in her path to victory.

Lucy took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm not sure I do," she answered tentatively, "I care for the spirits, I really do. Is there anything I can do to-"

The sneer on Priscilla's face finally appeared, setting off every single warning bell in Lucy's mind. Aries quickly hooked her arm with her owner's in an attempt to protect her but Priscilla's words were precise, hard, and strong. "Loki. I need him. He needs to do his duty, he needs to rise up and together, we will be generals and lead our forces to victory. He is capable of great things and once the two of us are bonded, there will be no power greater then ours."

"What the-"

"I forbid you to see him again, Lucy," spat Priscilla, her voice like iron, "He was never yours to begin with. He knows that as a bonded pair, we can save our world. If you refuse, you are an obstruction to us winning this war and I swear, I will cut you down myself."

The silence in the room was deafening. "How dare you threaten me," Lucy said, her eyes narrowed, "I am-"

"Human. Exactly." Priscilla the White suddenly extended her arm, palm up and Lucy felt herself being thrown backwards. Aries shrieked as Lucy expected to connect with the wall but she was falling...into a portal? Everything began to fade into darkness, and Lucy felt something snap as she heard Priscilla's voice echo ominously from within the void. "Remember what we talked about, Lucy. Remember."

* * *

Lucy was falling into blackness. It was a horrible, disorienting feeling as her stomach lurched back and forth...and then suddenly, she slammed into the hard floor of her kitchen. She was home.

What the heck was that snapping noise? It sounded like metal rings being pulled apart until they broke. As Lucy painfully pushed herself up, something slid down her shirt-the silver chain from Mira. One of the links had snapped...and the ring was gone. Priscilla had taken Loki's ring.

Wasting no time, Lucy sprang into action. Although rage coursed through her veins, she felt numb as she plugged her kitchen sink, turning all the taps on full blast until it was full of water. Fishing her keyring from her belt, she pointed at the water and summoned.

Almost instantly, the kitchen filled with a glowing light. The unmistakable sound of a fish flopping out of water followed. "Seriously, this can't happen anymore Lucy or I'm revoking your key," screamed Aquarius, only her tailfins in the sink. The rage evaporated from her face as she saw Lucy's expression. "What happened?"

"I just met with Priscilla," Lucy said, gritting her teeth together, "And she told me about the upcoming war."

Aquarius made a serious face, which was new to Lucy, who had only seen her spirit two ways: pissed off or love-struck. "Yeah, the war. It was rather quick and unexpected but we're working out it."

"Priscilla said that she and Loki had to...complete their bonding to win the war."

Aquarius turned uncomfortably on the tile. "Well, I guess it's kind of true. Once a pair is bonded, their power grows. It's like when you put two halves of a whole together—they are stronger together." As Lucy's face fell, Aquarius was quick to add to her comments. "But don't worry, among the principal houses, we've got almost all of the bonded pairs. And one from Aries and Leo already exist. Technically, they don't need Priscilla and Loki."

"According to Priscilla, it's a morale issue. If they're together, for sure you guys'll win because it'll unite the Spirit World." Lucy's words were hollow.

"They're both strong enough on their own without having to bond. Plus, they aren't the only weapons we have. Lucy, we'll win."

* * *

Lucy stood in her kitchen. More drama than cooking had occurred in this space, that was for sure. She believed Aquarius' words but all she could think about was the size of that purple cloud in the war room. It was large-large enough to cover the entire galaxy. Lucy couldn't even begin to imagine a world without the stars sparkling in the sky.

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Lucy felt spirit-charged air in her apartment again. She turned half-heartedly, totally not in the mood to deal with Priscilla again but there was no one there—instead, a small white box had appeared on her coffee table. It was small and there was a note tied to the ribbon—written in exquisitely beautiful cursive was one word: Remember.

Lucy untied the ribbon and dumped the contents of the box into her hand, unsurprised when Loki's ring tumbled out. She knew what Priscilla wanted her to do.

* * *

**A/N**: Too serious? I had a feeling it might be. It was kind of long too. Blah, I figured I have this out of the way and then I can write about the other I have up my sleeve! Aaah, I can't wait to write it. Let's just say...there's a good reason Loki isn't in this chapter. He's busy. ^^


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Lucy had taken a walk to clear her mind. She aimlessly strolled through her neighborhood, twisting the ruby ring around her thumb as she walked. Before she knew it, she had ended up at the lookout near the local observatory. There was no one else enjoying the view and Lucy was thankful for the solitude.

As she leaned against the railing, Lucy twisted the ring again, watching the city lights make the beautiful jewel sparkle. 'Big picture, big picture,' she chanted to herself, looking up at the night sky. What was more important-the lives of millions of spirits...or her own happiness?

"If there's one thing I know about myself," she finally mused aloud, "It's that I'm not selfish."

And with that, Lucy exhaled as slowly as she could. Suddenly, she smirked, and shook her head. Wasn't it ironic? Just at the moment when she was finally starting to understand what she had-she had to give it up.

She closed her eyes and summoned.

This time, when she felt Loki's presence stepping from the Astral Plane, she felt her heart ache.

And when he finally became visible-torn clothing and bleeding-her heart nearly broke.

Lucy rushed to Loki's side and helped him to the nearest bench. He had long, jagged cuts all over his body and he was breathing as if he had just run a marathon-but the smile on his face was bigger than Lucy had ever seen it.

"What the hell happened to you?" She shrieked, her fingers already searching for a key that had the power to heal. "Are you, are you-"

Loki raised one bruised hand, trying to calm his Master. "Relax, I made it," he wheezed as best as he could.

"Made it? What are you talking about?" Lucy exclaimed, examining his wounds. Why the heck was he smiling so big? It looked as if Loki had been on the wrong end of a knife fight.

"I made it out!" He spread his arms out wide, which Lucy could tell he instantly regretted. He doubled over in pain, but after a few deep breaths, he started to roll up his pant leg. "I almost didn't make it, but thanks to your impeccable timing, I got away. With this."

There was something thin tucked into one of Loki's torn wool socks. Something thin and very old. Lucy handled it gingerly as he handed it to her, picking it up with the tips of her fingers. It was a roll of parchment and Lucy was amazed that it survived Loki's dangerous escape. It seemed like the paper would crumble into dust at any moment.

"Loki," said Lucy, who was rather apprehensive at what she was holding, "Just what..._is_ this?"

The big smile got even bigger. Loki took her hand-the one wearing the ring-and kissed it. "That, my dear Lucy, is a contract."

* * *

"A contract," said Lucy, doubtfully, as she unrolled the sheet. It was about the small poster and it was covered in golden text with characters Lucy didn't even recognize. At the bottom, there were two blank lines. Perhaps awaiting signatures?

"Yes. A very rare and ancient one at that," said Loki, from the bathtub he was soaking in, "And I think you're looking at one of the only ones left in existence. I bet someone from the House of Libra would pay BIG for it." He and Lucy had had a difficult time phasing back to the Spirit World in his injured state, but it was the only place where he could quickly recooperate. The healing would go even _faster_ if he soaked in an ambrosia solution, which is why Lucy had dumped him-clothing and all-into his bathtub and why he was now floating in a sea of...pale pink bubbles. (She had rolled her eyes upon discovering that this powerful magical healing potion was in the form of a bubble bath.)

Stretching her legs out on the cold tile floor, Lucy slowly rolled up the paper as delicately as she could. "So let me get this straight," she said, placing it out of harms way, "You risked your life...so you could improve your book collection?"

"Oh, my dear Lucy," Loki playfully sighed, flinging a waterlogged shoe out of the water, "Let's start with the basics. What do...stellar spirits mages do?"

Lucy scoffed. Was he kidding? Being a top-notch Stellar Spirit mage was her _profession_. "We..are mages who specialize in celestial spirit magic. We make contracts with spirits from the Astral Plane so that we can summon them in our times of need."

The other shoe flew out of the water, bouncing one on the floor. "Alright good. Now. Can you tell me about the first Stellar Spirit mages?"

Lucy frowned, trying to remember her first summoning lessons but all she drew was a big empty blank. "...No, I can't," she said, shaking her head.

Chuckling, Loki painfully peeled off his socks, tossing them into the same pile as his shoes. "Here's a story for you. Once upon a time, stellar spirits roamed freely around Earth. But we were just that-spirits. We still technically within the Astral Plane so were ethereal. However, there were those who could see us. Powerful humans with innate abilities."

"..The first mages," said Lucy, in awe. She had never heard this story before, and she was rather ashamed to say that she often took her ability to perform her style of magic for granted.

"Yes." A coiled belt joined the pile. "The strongest of us learned how to communicate with the strongest of them, and we made a deal. In exchange for our power, they would grant us with what we didn't have-a physical, tangible form. A contract was written in the caster's blood and we were able to step out of the Spirit World for the first time-with flesh and blood."

"So how did the spirits gain...forms?" Lucy asked, "Just the details of the contract?"

Loki balled up the remnants of his jacket and tossed it out. "Yes. The contract enabled the mage to use his part of his soul and body as a vessel to pull the spirit through into this plane. The mage and the spirit were bonded for life. As spirits, we were much more powerful then. More powerful than our non-bonded state also-the lifeforce of our mage boosted our powers ridiculously. The process is been refined a lot since then-the keys eliminate the need for soul trading, but the contract is still required. There are a lot more rules now also. We stay in our plane and normally, you stay on yours."

"And that paper over there," Lucy said, gesturing at the rolled up scroll, "That's...one of the..."

"Yep. One of the original binding contracts. It's literally priceless. I fought through an entire stronghold of Tigris guards for that scroll-and I almost didn't make it out alive."

"And...what do you plan to do with it?" asked Lucy, softly. Her heart knew where this was going but only one thing flashed through her mind at the moment-the word, 'Remember.'

The formerly white dress shirt, full of slashes and stained a deep gold in some places, was wadded up and flung onto the growing pile. "Sign it, of course."

* * *

Priscilla had always resented the choice to wear white armor on that fateful day. White was so pure and innocent. And clean. She felt anything but. She wished her armor had been a deep ebony splashed crimson with the blood of her enemies. Yes, that would have been much more fitting.

But what's done is done and that was how Priscilla the White found herself impatiently waiting on the roof of the upper most tower of hour family's mansion. Clad in a sleek sleeveless white dress, white boots, and fur-trimmed cuffs around her biceps. _White_. She spat, very unladylike, off of the tower's edge.

Tapping her boot, she took a deep breath. If she had to wait ONE second longer, she thought to herself, she'd rip out his fangs and-

"I'm sorry I'm late, milady," a slippery voice hissed behind her," There was a little hiccup with security. I took care of it though."

Priscilla composed herself. "I do NOT tolerate lateness, Angius. And I was under the impression that members of the House of Hydra were NEVER late for appointments."

"It won't happen again."

"Good." Priscilla nodded once, and turned, her back to her guest. "The mage. She needs to be dealt with. I gave her a visa so she'll most likely be in our plane for longer periods of time."

"Do you prefer a certain method?" Anguis' voice was emotionless.

"No. Just get it done. Neatly." Priscilla's voice was as stern as her posture-severe, rigid, and unforgiving.

"Yes ma'am."

By the time Priscilla turned around again, she was alone. She allowed herself one twisted smile.

* * *

I bet my obituary was written. It's been nearly a year. RIDICULOUS. And shameful. If you've stuck with this story THIS long, I am forever thankful for it and I promise I won't let you down. Thank you, you don't know how much it means to me.

PS - If I were to...bump the rating up to an M, would that be cool? If not, lmk and I'll keep it as a T.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"I'm going to sign it," said Loki. His voice was full of purpose, but there was a warmer note underneath it. Affection. "And you're going to sign it with me."

Those were the last words between them before Loki turned the shower on, rising the sweet-smelling solution out of his hair. Lucy had excused herself (despite his extremely enthusiastic offer for her to stay) and was standing on the balcony. Again, she spun the ring absent-mindedly on her finger.

_Are you sure about this? _she asked herself, hearing the drawers and closets open and close in the next room, _There's no going back, you know_.

Lucy thought back, to all the ridiculous things that happened between them and she allowed herself a small smile. Who would have ever thought that falling for Loki would have been so...easy? His over-the-top serenades had her thinking otherwise but Lucy couldn't deny that they fit together so well. And it felt _wonderful! _She didn't think she could ever get used to the feeling of being embraced by someone who loved her as much as Loki did. However...she was seconds away from flushing everything down the toilet.

_...Of course not But it's something I've got to do, right? _She took a deep breath to prepare herself, and turned around.

Loki approached, smiling warmly as he buttoned up his shirt. He stopped halfway when he saw her forlorn expression. "...You...okay?"

"Loki, we've...we've got to talk."

"Sure, love," said Loki, cautiously. From eons of girl experience, he knew those words never signaled anything good. "What's on your mind?"

Before she could stop herself, she blurted the words out. "We can't do this."

Loki's eyebrows furrowed together. "We can't...what? Are you saying-"

"Loki, we can't. We can't be together," Lucy exclaimed, her voice quavering at the end, "No matter how much I want this, we_ can't_."

"Beautiful, where is...all this coming from?" He tried to take her hands but she hastily stuffed them in her pockets.

Lucy hated herself when she saw the pain in his eyes but she willed herself to continue. "Look, Loki. I know," she started. Suddenly, the words came spilling out. "I know all about you and Priscilla. I know what happened. I know that the two of you are practically _engaged _and that if you don't bond with her, the Spirit World could end," She felt extremely defeated. "We _can't._"

He took a deep breath, his head tilted in confusion. "So, this is it. Me and you, we're...done."

It took every ounce of willpower that Lucy had to open her mouth. And when she spoke the words, it felt like her heart began to shatter. "...We're done."

He said nothing for a moment. Very slowly, he began to speak. "So...just a few days ago, you said you were falling for me. And now, you've apparently changed your mind and your heart's desire is for me to live happily ever after with my _conniving, _deceitful ex-girlfriend." His words were heavy on the sarcasm. "That's great."

"What?! Are you kidding me?" Lucy furiously exclaimed, indignant at his tone. Why couldn't he see where she was coming from? LIVES were at stake. "You think I want this to happen? Priscilla is freaking batshit CRAZY. You think I want you to end up with someone like that?"

"Then how? How can you give up on us so easily?" He couldn't stop the pain from tainting his words. "I honestly thought we had something, Lucy. I haven't felt this way towards anyone in a millenia. And you just want to..."

Silently, Lucy reached out for his hands. He resisted at first, but finally let her weave her fingers between his. He didn't look at her, opting to stare out at the starry expanse instead.

"Loki," she exhaled. Her heart felt like lead in her chest. "I haven't given up. I just...don't know what to do." She shrugged, frustrated. "You should know more than _anyone_ that I don't want this, but if you the two of you can literally save the world, ...I can't stand in the way. I won't let Spirits die just because one silly human fell for her favorite spirit. I just...can't."

Loki's shoulders slumped but he pulled her closer nonetheless. Their embrace was a sad one but it was till comforting to both. "You know," he mumbled into her hair, "Bonding is a permanent thing. There's no such thing as divorce in the Spirit World."

Lucy said nothing. A single fat, swollen tear rolled down her cheek.

Suddenly, Loki pulled them both upright. "C'mere, there's something you should see."

Lucy wiped away her tear as he led her back into the living room and settled her on the sofa. The room now seemed to double as a study; there was a new desk and a small file cabinet in one corner. Since the last time that Lucy had been here, the end tables seemed to have sprouted random pens and grown thick stacks of paper. With long, purposeful strides, Loki retrieved a manila envelope from a locked cabinet.

He came back to settle down with her on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "This was...us," he said, pulling out the contents of the envelope and handing them to Lucy.

They were pictures - various personal shots of a very young Loki and Priscilla. While Lucy flipped through them, she couldn't decide what to feel. Jealousy? Or sadness. Maybe a mix of both. The "Young Royals," as one caption called them, seemed very young-even by human standards. Maybe 16 at the most? In one shot, they were cuddled in a chair. Young Loki, who had already started wearing suits as a uniform, had his arms wrapped around Priscilla's waist. She wore his sunglasses and playfully posed for the camera. In another, they were kissing under a tree in full bloom. And in another, they were walking on a beach, hands clasped together. The one thing seemed evident-this young couple seemed happy! Genuinely so.

"In the beginning, we were happy. Or least I was, anyway. We ended the war and I somehow gained a girlfriend! Teenage me was stoked," he said, ruefully as he gestured at the pictures, "These were some of my favorite shots of us."

Lucy was silent and she was frozen on the last picture: Loki and Priscilla in full armor, watching their parents shake hands.

"I burnt these when I found out about her lies," he said, tight-jawed, "The next morning, I got a new set in the mail. So I burnt that too She's sent me new copies whenever I destroy the one I've got. I have no idea how she knows but it's a vicious cycle."

Lucy was disgusted. "That's...that's freaking terrible," she scowled.

"You know what's even more messed up? She still does the whole 'I miss my true love' charade for the other Houses and she's got them all wrapped around her finger. I bet my parents still get envoys from Libra and Pisces begging me to take her back," Loki sneered, "If only I could show them her true side."

"I'm not sure what describes her better," said Lucy, "Ruthless, manipulative, or just plain...evil."

Loki snorted. "All of the above."

After a pause, Loki began to speak, softer this time. "Love, you know I would have never let you walk away, right?" His tone was tired but Lucy could feel the warmness in his words - it was reassuring to know that he wasn't swayed so easily by her attempts to drop him.

"I know. It's just...I feel so helpless! We're supposed to think about the big picture, right? It's just...it's not _fair._"

Loki chuckled a little, easing his arm around her shoulder. "We're like a real-life Romeo and Juliet. Starcrossed, but really Star crossed since you're really a Stellar Spirit Mage and I'm really a Celestial Spirit."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh a little as she eased into his embrace. She sighed, sadly. "That would really, really suck if our story ended as a tragedy."

"Well. You're right. That would suck. But...what if it doesn't _have_ to end that way?" Loki squeezed her shoulders, that mischievous grin back on his face.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she sat up straight. "What're you talking about? Weren't we just talking about being starcrossed...and those stupid pictures, and -"

She instantly stopped talking when a very old, rolled up scrolled bopped her playfully on the nose. "We've got to sign this," said Loki, determinedly "Even more so, now. I know this whole splitting up thing was because you put Spirits before yourself, and I will always love that about, Lucy. You're heart is good. But we are STRONGER together, not apart. If we sign this, it's like a two for one tie sale! Together - me and you - we'll be strong enough to lead the assault. Stronger than a bond between me and Priscilla could ever be, I know it. Plus, we've got connections with the other Houses and I'm sure we can get their support. Don't you see? We'll finally have a _real_ fighting chance. Without her."

"...Did you just say 'two for one tie sale'? Instead of two killing two birds with one stone?" Lucy asked, in disbelief.

"...Yeah, it's just like it. Actually it's better! Two ties for the price of one. Why kill birds when you can have new ties? But Hey - you're not even listening to me!" Loki raised his arms in protest. "The other bonus, which is possibly the better of the two, is that we'll be taking down that double-crossing, fake ass bitch. All of the arrangements will be broken and she'll have absolutely no influence. The houses will turn on her, faster than you can blink. C'mon Luce, we'll be doing the world TWO favors. What do you say?"

Lucy laughed. "We'll be doing the Spirit World a favor. But...we'll be breaking all kinds of Spirit Law with this, you know. Isn't your bonding a super ancient, crazy important ritual?" In her mind, she imagined white-hot cuff-links suddenly appearing around their wrists. One of the first things she learned as a Stellar Spirit Mage was to never mess with Spirit laws. Particularly ancient ones.

"Yep, and believe me. The risks are worth it," said Loki, cracking his knuckles, "There is _nothing _I want more than to break this damn law. Well, that...and you, Lucy."

"...Alright. I'll sign, but...you're positive this will work, right?" said Lucy, a bit dubious about betting their fate (and that of the Spirit World) on a brittle piece of paper.

"Trust me." Loki leaned forward until their foreheads touched. Lucy could feel the connection between them; it was practically electric. Any of the hesitation she felt melted away.

With her first genuine smile in what felt like ages, Lucy grabbed one of the fountain pens from the table next to the couch. Quickly rolling out the scroll, Lucy declared, "Alright! Let's do this - _hey_!"

Loki quickly snatched the pen from her hands before reclaiming the parchment as well. "What are you _doing_? You can't just..._sign_ the damn thing," he exclaimed as he delicately rolled it back up again.

"Are you kidding me? We just...this whole...UGH, why can't we just sign it?"

"Beautiful, this is the Spirit World. There's a bunch of things we've got to do first. And there's one thing you should start with..."

* * *

"WHAT? You can't go on vacation without us?!" bellowed Natsu, in disbelief. He stared at Lucy and her outrageous and ridiculous notions.

"Please, Natsu," grimaced Lucy, "You're making a scene!" Just as soon as she had tacked up her 'Notice of Leave' slip on the Guild Info board, Happy had instantly tipped off her not-so thrilled, salmon-haired guildmate. She had quickly pulled him out a side door to prevent making the scene...worse.

"Hell _YEAH,_ I'm going to make a scene! You're supposed to take us with you! Virgo promised me that Spirit World buffets were a bajillion times better than the one at the Flaming Crab Shack." He threw his arms in the air for emphasis, simulating the action of shoveling endless quantities of food into his gaping mouth.

"Next time, alright? I promise. Right now, Loki and I have some..._stuff _to do and I'm not sure how long it'll take."

Natsu's nose wrinkled. "Eww, Lucy, that's gross. Don't tell me the details of your love life! I don't wanna know that sorta thing."

Exasperated, but knowing that he was joking (_he was, wasn't he?_), Lucy playfully punched his shoulder. "Idiot, not _that_ sort of thing. It's work. Like a mission, really. Definitely an S-Class one."

Folding his arms, Natsu frowned. Suddenly, his jaw dropped to the ground as he finally spotted the ring on Lucy's hand. "NO WAY. YOUR MISSION IS THAT YOU'RE...GETTING MARRIED?"

"What?! No!" Lucy exclaimed, wincing as echos of 'Lucy's getting married?!' reverberated from the Guild Hall, "Well...not really, but technically kind of, but still..."

Natsu's arms dejectedly fell to his sides. "...You're not going to invite me?"

"Natsu, I'm not getting married. I guess we're together, but marriage...no." The echos turned giddy. '_Lucy's _dating_ someone?!'_

Wiping his nose, Natsu crossed his arms. "_Together?_ I thought you thought...he was icky? With his harem of girlfriends and stuff."

"Ugh, please don't remind me about them," moaned Lucy. Hundreds of ex-girlfriends. Lovely. "But I guess...I don't know. It happened. He makes me happy." She shrugged, smiling. "He really does."

Natsu frowned, crossing his arms. "Okay fine. But I swear on all the dumplings that I'll ever eat; if he hurts you, I'm gonna rally the whole freaking guild and we're going to beat the shit out of him!"

Lucy valiantly tried to calm him down as the imaginary sweat drop rolled down her head but Natsu was on a roll. "YOU HEAR THAT, YOU FREAKING...CAT?!," he roared to the heavens with flaming fists, "If you hurt our Lucy, we're going to hunt you down and burn all of your STUPID SUITS. GOT IT?"

The guild applauded. Lucy felt like she had died a little, inside.

"So. What kind of..._work_ are you guys going to do, anyway?" Natsu wiggled his eyebrows.

"I TOLD YOU, not that kind of work," Lucy rolled her eyes. "We'll be taking down a tyrant. Oh, and hopefully win a war."

"Oh. Typical save the world stuff?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"AWESOME!" Natsu punched the air. "What kind of bad guy? Super pumped up warlord? Warlock with zombie raising powers? Oooh, VAMPIRES!"

"...We'll be fighting...Loki's ex-girlfriend. I think technically by law, she's still his...fiance." Lucy winced.

Natsu's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates before he suddenly burst out laughing. "Ahhhh, this is good stuff. You guys could have your own reality TV show. So much _drama_," he guffawed, "Make sure you bring the smack down, Luce!"

"Oh, don't worry. I will," said Lucy.

"Well, alright. Everyone's gotta go solo once in a while," said Natsu, wrapping one of his dearest friends in a huge bear hug, "Channel your inner Erza when you give her a beat down."

Lucy fought back tears as she hugged him back. "Thanks, Natsu."

"Of course! We're nakama, right? We'll be watching for you," he said, pointing up at starry sky. "Good luck and make us pro-"

"WAIT LUCY!" called Mira, poking her head out of the door and abruptly crashing the 'touching' moment, "You can't leave without this!" She burst out, rolling an extremely large and cumbersome suitcase.

"...what is...that," Lucy deadpanned. She was suddenly very, very afraid.

"Since you didn't pick your dress yet, I bought all of these magazines and packed them for you! Levi and I flagged the ones that we think would work best with your cleavage. Also, can you please ask Loki what kind of cake he likes?" Mira spoke a million words a minute as opened the overflowing suitcase which Lucy realized was actually...a wedding planner. The color drained from her face.

"OH! Before I forget. Erza's out on business at the moment but you know her, she's always prepared. She had these ready for you when the time came," Mira winked. "So? Which one do you like better? This super lacy balconet or this kind of feathery teddy?" Mira shamelessly held up tiniest, most itty-bitty pieces of lingerie ever made. "You've got to be ready for your wedding night!"

Natsu (and what seemed like the entire guild) chanted, "LACE! LACE! LACE!"

There was nothing that Lucy wanted more than to crawl up into the nearest closet and die. (_Lace! Lace! Lace!_)

* * *

**A/N**: Awww, thanks, guys! *sniffs thankfully and smiles* Thank you for being honest, I'm glad to have awesome readers such as all of you. Thank you for your support!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Lucy was_ not_ in a good mood when Loki picked her up.

"You look like...you've been through a very traumatic moment..." Loki commented, gingerly taking her hand.

"That is an UNDERSTATEMENT," huffed Lucy, who was quite sure that she would be scarred for life. _Lace! Lace! Lace! _She shuddered.

"Don't worry, beautiful, I've got something to make you feel better," he winked, taking her hand as he pulled her to another dimension.

"Tah dah!"

Lucy emerged in a walk in closet that consisted solely of pieces made of...lace. Her mind went into shock.

"Well, since you'll be in the Spirit World for a few days, I stocked this closet with Celestial things that I thought you'd like. And I might have overheard that you're into lace right now," he said in a sing song voice, affectionately kissing her cheek.

Still in shock, Lucy opened a random drawer. It was filled to the brim with lacy underthings in all shapes and colors. And at the top, Lucy spotted the same exact pair that Mira had been dangling in front of her.

"HELL I can't wear any of this," she suddenly exclaimed, slamming the drawer shut.

"But-"

"I want something...with lots and lots of clasps. And of iron!" Lucy moaned, thinking of Erza's armor. That would protect her, right?

"Oh. _Ohhhh,_" said Loki, knowingly. From yet another drawer, he pulled out an iron chastity belt. The HeartKreuz symbol was stamped prominently on the front. "Well, Erza sent this too but I didn't think that was your thing! I'm learning all sorts of things about you, Lucy!"

This was too much for Lucy. She stalked to the living room and collapsed on the couch.

"Okay, okay. I was kidding," laughed Loki, as he tried to pry the pillow from Lucy's face. "I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist."

"Resist harder next time," Lucy growled, swatting him with said pillow.

"Aww c'mon. I thought the metal underwear was..._exciting_."

Lucy screamed into the pillow.

"Alright! Alright," said Loki, doubling over in laughter, "Fine, we'll talk about something serious. Our game plan. Is that better?"

"UGH. Much better." Lucy peeked out from a tasseled corner. "So next..."

"Next, we've got to go over the terms." Loki hopped over the sofa, settling himself down with a xerox copy of the ancient contract. Even the xerox had the flowing, golden text of the original. It was mesmerizing to Lucy's eyes.

"How can you read that?" she said, gesturing at the paper. She flipped over onto her stomach so that she could examine it better. "It looks almost as if the words are moving."

"Well, I guess to your human eyes, they _are_ kind of moving," said Loki, tilting the paper back and forth, "What you're probably seeing is a little of what I see-the raw power of the words. I haven't seen a document like this in centuries! I think I can read most it."

"So? What does it say?"

Loki pushed a pair or reading glasses onto his nose. "Alright. So basically, this contract is between a Spirit and a Caster. That's you and me. In exchange for some of your...essence, you can summon me 24 hours, 7 days a week. We kind of do that already but after this, my power is officially all yours."

Lucy fought hard not to get distracted. It'd had been a while since she'd seen Loki with regular glasses instead of his uniform shades. He had switched the metal frames for smart plastic ones and they framed his eyes nicely. Oh, and he was wearing more of his civilian clothes again-straight jeans and a fitted black shirt that was unbuttoned halfway. Lucy was positive that she'd be content just looking at him all day...but she had to focus! "Mmm...kay."

"Signing this paper effectively...entwines our souls," said Loki, translating as best as he could, "Forever. So you can't go back on this later and decide you'd rather have Taurus instead of me."

Lucy shuddered again. She couldn't imagine a lifetime of googly eyes and comments about her underwear. Lace underwear? _Lace! Lace! Lace!_ "UGH hell no. Never."

Amused, Loki kept reading. "In exchange, our power, as a whole, will be based on the compatibility of our souls and I'm pretty sure that we're good in that department. That's the main gist of it. Sound good?"

"Yep. That sounds like a great deal," said Lucy, sitting up. "So I can sign here?"

"Wait wait, there's a catch. Fine print." He pointed at the bottom of the document where there seemed to be several rows of microscopic print.

"What? That looks like...ant footprints," said Lucy. "But I figured there would be something."

Getting up to rummage through one of the drawers, Loki returned to the couch holding a magnifying glass. It must have been a magical one; he held it up to the fine print and the rim of the glass seemed to glow. As he peered through it, the text slowly enlarged until it was barely legible. "I'm glad you're sitting down for this one," he said, squinting. "If you sign this, it looks like you're affinity for other spirits will be...smaller."

"Affinity...as in..." said Lucy, leaving her words open on purpose. She wasn't liking where this conversation was going.

Loki winced. "You probably won't be able to summon other spirits."

"WHAT?!" Lucy shrieked, bolting up until she was standing, "You can't be serious! I-I'm a Stellar Spirit mage. Summoning spirits is what I _do_."

"I know, I know," said Loki in a calming voice. He put the glass and the paper down, pulling her until she was perched in his lap. "It's the Spirit World's way of balancing out the universe. Everything's about give and take."

Lucy made a face. She couldn't imagine not being able to summon Plue or Lyra. She wouldn't be able to summon Virgo, Aquarius, Aries...without her keys and her other spirits, she felt like a part of her would be missing.

"Well, this paper _is_ pretty old, and it was made before mages started using keys,"said Loki, thoughtfully. "What I'm guessing is...in the mortal plane, you won't be able to use silver keys at all. But since golden keys are...well, _golden keys_, I'm pretty sure you'd still be able to use them. You probably won't have the same power with them as you did before but at least they..._might_ work."

"You really think so?"

"I'm just speculating," said Loki. He shifted his body until they were both lounging on the couch-one arm cradling her shoulders and the other cocked back behind his head. "We won't really know until after it's signed. But don't worry, love. After this, you'll always have me."

Lucy smiled, as she stared at the ceiling. Her head rested on his shoulder and she let one hand creep up until it idly played with the buttons on his shirt. She could feel his heart beating; it was strong and confident. On impulse, she pulled herself up to kiss him. It was her first time being so...forward with him so she was nervous, but he responded naturally. His hands found their way to her hips as her fingers traced his strong jaw.

"Mmm, so now, can we _finally_ just sign the damn thing?" asked Lucy, coming up for air.

"Actually, there's more fine print," said Loki, kissing her neck while his hands glided up and down her back. "I can't sign it if I answer to the key of my House. I have to pass on the responsibilities to someone else."

Lucy couldn't help but shudder a little as his lips moved from her jaw to her collarbone. "Okay, so how do we...find someone else?" She felt a little breathless.

Loki paused and with a heavy sigh, adjusted his body until he was face to face with Lucy. "We have to pay a visit to my father."

* * *

Lucy decided that she would never get used to Celestial buildings. They seemed just like human ones-with doors, rooms, and furniture-except the properties themselves just seemed to be dropped from nowhere. She was standing with Loki in front of a very intimidating castle. It seemed like it was plucked from the countryside of England and just...plopped somewhere in the Spirit World. She leaned to peer apprehensively at the castle's outer walls-there seemed to be a foot or two of grass and then the land vanished into nothing.

"So...this is where you used to live?" asked Lucy, a bit tentatively. She had changed into a set of normal (non-lace) Celestial clothes and twirled one of the loose ties around her finger."It's very...imposing."

"Yep. Just like my father," said Loki. He stood up straight and tall, as always, but Lucy could see traces of uncertainty in his posture.

They approached a thick iron gate adorned with a large crest of two lions sparring. Above the figures was a line of text in a flowing yet powerful script.

"..._vivere...audacter,_" said Lucy, her neck craned up to read the words.

Loki's shoes scuffed the cobblestone as strode forward towards the gate, a determined look on his face. As he outstretched his hand, the doors swung open. "It means, 'to Live Boldly.' It's the family motto."

Lucy followed him through the gate and into the castle. It was quiet; there seemed to be no one there. And although he said he hadn't been there in forever, Loki seemed to remember where to go. They wove in and out of hallways until they came to an extremely tall, heavy set of double wooden doors.

Loki froze before the doors, staring at their thick iron handles. This place did not bring back fond memories for him and he was loathe to bring Lucy to a place like this...but they had things to do, didn't they? There was no other way. Suddenly, he felt a small hand slip into his.

Lucy grinned, squeezing gently. "We can do this," she said.

Loki grinned back. He felt courage (or perhaps a ridiculous amount of adrenaline) spread through his body and together, they pushed open the doors.

Trying her best not to gape openly, Lucy stared at her surroundings. It was ridiculous! Just like a throne room from a fairy tale. The room was long and full of things made of gold and inlaid with jewels. At the very end of the room, there was a series of thrones. On the left, there was a modest one; the arms were dainty but the back was strong. On the right stood three smaller thrones. Two of them were sturdy and the third was sleek. In the middle, was a throne so massive that it dwarfed the other four. It was tall, proud, and rigid, flanked on either side by a statue of a snarling lion. There was a figure sitting in this throne-his posture was falsely relaxed. His leg was crossed and one of his arms lounged on the head of a lion statue. From the back of the room, Lucy could still see the enormous ruby on the figure's finger.

"...So," boomed the figure, "...The _Prince_ is home."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Priscilla and her father stood on an alcove, watching their legion march out of their headquarters. Her father, a thickly built Spirit, was wearing heavy armor yet it was she who looked truly intimidating.

"Priscilla, you can't stop the forces from deploying. The enemy has already reached our outer provinces," he rumbled. "We _must_ act. Now. And so must you."

"Me? Why should I do anything?" spat Priscilla, crossing her arms. "You should be talking to that _fool_ who's off gallivanting with some human scum."

Her father gripped his spear tighter. "You must join in the fray as well. We need your power."

She grit her teeth. Her hair was slicked back into a high pony tail and she had put on cream-colored jeans with loose, chevron printed tank. Her father had nearly blown his top; he had commanded her to appear in full battle armor and she waltzed down the stairs in...diamond white stilettos. "My power _is_ great," she scoffed immodestly, "But to get the power that YOU need, I need to be bonded. With _him._"

"Why must it be him? Bond with anyone! No matter who it is, your strength will grow immensely!"

Priscilla spun neatly on her heel. "I SAID it must be him," she raged, "I will not bond with anyone else."

With a heavy sigh, he lightly rested a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Cilla, dearest," he said, his tone softer, "He doesn't even love you. We used him, it is done. Move on. Be _happy_."

She smiled back sweetly. "I will, Father, you'll see." Pausing, she retrieved a small bag from her pocket. "Father, I made you these for luck. The Pleiades Sisters taught me how to make their famous 'Subaru' milk candy. Your favorite!"

Thoughtfully, he popped one into his mouth. "Thank you, Cilla. I've missed these." He pecked her on the cheek as he hoisted his shield upon his back. "I hope to see you out there soon. Maybe when we quench this invasion, we c-can..."

"Father," said Priscilla, her tone slowly transforming from concerned to mocking, "Are you alright?"

"Priscilla, these...you poisoned them?" The warlord coughed deeply, quickly falling to his knees.

"...Maybe. I kind of need you out of the way for a bit, Father," she said, examining her gel-coated nails.

"You...you stupid girl, you've doomed us all! You've..." He coughed again, breathing hard.

"Oh Dad, relax. It's just a sleeping poison," she said, rolling her eyes. "And watch. By the time you wake up, I'll have Loki back AND I'll have saved the Spirit World. Just watch me."

As her father collapsed entirely to the ground, his helmet rang noisily against the stone.

* * *

"So, the Prince is home," boomed the figure on the throne.

Loki stood his ground but his clenched fists betrayed his composure. "It's been a while...Dad."

The Head of the House of Leo stood up and walked into the light. Lucy saw that he was older, maybe in his late 50s or so (in human terms of age). His hair was the same dark gold as Loki's but it was darker and longer; it flowed from his head like a regal mane. His facial hair was groomed impeccably and, like his son, he seemed to have a fondness for well-tailored Italian suits.

Suddenly, he charged towards them, emitting a low growl.

Lucy gasped, alarmed, fumbling for her keys, for her whip-anything! Loki still stood his ground...he had spread his legs a little wider, as if bracing for something...

Father barreled into Son, smothering him in a tight embrace. "Where have you been?! You never called!" he sobbed, lifting Loki off the ground.

Loki laughed awkwardly, patting his father on the back. "I've...missed you too, Dad."

"Oh? And who's this?" Loki's Father unceremoniously dropped his son, making a beeline straight to Lucy. He grabbed her hand, kissing the back in a very flamboyant gesture. "Whoever you are, your beauty is unparalleled by any creature in this realm. Except for my wife, but everyone else. You have no equal."

Lucy snatched her hand back as quickly as she could. She was starting to see that flirting and flowery words seemed to run in the family. "Hi, I'm...Lucy," she said, tentatively.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Loki beamed. "Lucy, meet...my Father. Father, meet Lucy."

"Lucy! What a beautiful name! My name is 'Ren'," said Ren, whose smile was starting to freak Lucy out. "Besides your wonderful assets ('HEY!' screamed Lucy), I can there's something special about you..."

"She's my Master. She owns the Golden Key of the Lion. Not bad, eh?"

Ren's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he openly stared at Lucy, who was sure this constituted to something closer to 'ogling.' "Your Master?! When I was Leo, my master was a little hairy old man. You, Lucy, are neither hairy. Or an old man. You are perfection."

"Um. Thank you," said Lucy who was battling the strongest urge to turn and run away screaming.

"So," said Ren, gaining back a little of his composure, "What brings you home, son? It's been...a hundred years? Maybe a thousand? Two thousand!"

"It's been 10 years," said Loki, patiently. "And we're here because there's something I have to discuss with you."

Ren crossed his arms. "Discuss? As in..."

"I need to pass on my duties as Leo. I think it's Epsi's turn, she's old enough by now."

"Epsi? Your little sister?" Ren stroked his beard. "I guess so. She's been itching to get into the mortal world for a while now."

"Perfect! Then it's settled. See you later!" said Loki, cheerfully. He yanked Lucy's hand and started to march out of the room.

Before they could escape, Ren spoke. "Loki, I thought you enjoyed being Leo. And if you give it up, you and your absolutely delightful Master won't be able to see each other anymore."

"Don't worry about it, Dad, we'll find a way." Loki waved a bit desperately, still heading for the door. "Love always does, you know."

"The only way...you two could still be together after this," said Ren, thoughtfully, "...would be..." Suddenly, the pieces came together in his mind. With a mighty roar, the Head of the House of Leo exhibited his true power. The heavy doors slammed shut in his son's face and the room darkened.

"How dare you," boomed Ren, all traces of playfulness gone. "My own son waltzes home after exile and tries to trick me into breaking one of the most important laws of the Spirit World. Do you take me for a fool?!" The older man seemed to glow with an ominous light which concentrated in his closed fists.

"Dad, I won't bond with _her_. I won't. I can't," shouted Loki, "Exile me again, I don't care. Nothing you do will make me go back to Priscilla. Nothing." The ring on Lucy's finger started to glow with a light of its own.

"The world doesn't revolve around you," scoffed Ren, glowing brighter. "You are responsible for the alliance between the Houses and you must maintain it! You owe a duty to our House AND to the House of Aries. There's a war going on, are you blind?! You must!"

"Never. Lucy and I will take care of it, I don't need _her," _spat Loki. He emphasized the 'her' with as much hatred as he could manage._  
_

Ren's eyes narrowed. "So you will bond with this _human_ instead?! I recognize that your master is strong, Loki, and she also has very nice legs, but if I let you bond with her, the full wrath of the House of Aries will fall on upon us. In a time of crisis like this, I am unwilling to jeopardize the safety of the Astral Plane!"

"Are you serious?" Loki exclaimed, throwing his arms up. Electricity seemed to crackle from his hair. "Lucy and I can fix this our own way! Why can't y-"

"YOU WILL NOT!" Ren seemed to float in his power, which rolled off him in powerful waves. Lucy was unsure what to do; it was as if two behemoths were going to do battle in front of her. Instinct told her to run for cover but she wasn't going to leave Loki's side. She bravely entwined her fingers with Loki's as the pressure in the room grew until it was almost unbearable. Both Lions were Supernovas; their light was so bright and intense, it was painful to look at them.

Lucy shut her eyes and braced for the worst. Suddenly, a clear voice rang out. "Enough."

The pressure and the light instantly dissipated as a tall, slim figure glided through the heavy double doors. Lucy turned and was instantly awed by the beauty of the woman coming towards them; she was definitely a Lady. Her hair was dark, long, and straight. Upon her finger, she also wore a ruby ring. The band was thin and diamonds formed a halo around the glistening red stone. Her posture was regal, like her husband's, but she was graceful and lithe. Lucy was glad to see that there was at least one member of this family that didn't wear suits. Instead, the woman wore a flattering charcoal gray maxi dress that flowed as she walked.

The Lady stopped until she stood between her Husband and her Son. When she spoke, her words rang with tenderness but also authority. "Loki, my dear. Do it. You have my permission."

Loki and Lucy's faces lit up as they looked at each other. Ren's, however, was livid.

"Stella, you're mad! If he bonds with this human, that's...madness! He can't! We can't allow this."

Stella turned to face him. She was calm and sweet yet an otherworldly light seemed to form above her head like a threatening halo. "Ren, dearest. I'd rather my son be happy and to bond for love than for power. And plus. Don't you think our House has been controlled by that treacherous bitch for long enough?"

"I want him to be happy too but- how will we...the House of Aries? The other Houses? This war?!" protested Ren.

"To hell with them," scoffed Stella. She was deceivingly fierce, as Lucy was discovering. "Our house is strong and we'll rally the others. Plus, if we add Lucy to the family, no one could even hope to beat us. She _is_ strong. She's even had an audience with the Spirit King, haven't you Lucy?" She winked.

Ren's shoulders shook in anger. Then suddenly, he deflated. "Fine. Alright fine!" he exclaimed, as his wife gleefully wrapped her arms around his neck, "Fine. Your duties as Leo will pass to your sister. And you...you have my permission to bond with this human."

Loki pulled Lucy to him by her waist, squeezing her in happiness. He felt overwhelmed; he felt a combination of giddiness and relief. "Thanks Dad."

"Not so fast! Lucy, you still have to pass the Trial of Leo before this gets any further," said Ren.

"Yes, that's quite right! Lucy, it's tradition," said Stella, nodding in agreement.

Lucy took a deep breath for courage as Loki squeezed her again in encouragement. "Sure, of course. What do I have to do?"

* * *

An hour later, three Leos and a Stellar Spirit Mage crowded around a small table that someone had dragged into the Throne Room.

"Okay. This is it," nervously said Lucy, who was wearing an apron and had some flour on her nose. She held out a fork to Ren. "Try it."

The Elder Leo took it, neatly taking a forkful of the chocolate cake that was in the middle of the table. As he chewed, he scrutinized the frosting, moistness, and the crumb texture.

"Well?" said Loki, on edge, "What do you think?"

"Do I pass?" asked Lucy, who was thanking her lucky stars that she had taken a mission at a bakery with Levi the month before.

Solemnly, Ren nodded as he scooped another bite. "Yes. Definitely, you pass. AUGH chocolate cake, my favorite! This is delicious."

Stella clapped, Loki whooped, and Lucy sighed in relief.

Dabbing his mouth with a napkin, Ren raised his ringed hand to the ceiling. "Welcome to the family, Lucy." Words formed in the air, made of light, and they spelled out, 'WE LOVE YOU LUCY XOXOXOXO.'

Stella continued clapping, Loki nodded in approval, and Lucy was very close to regretting what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

"Your family is..._nice_," said Lucy, throwing off her apron. She stretched her arms as she admired the view. After the cake baking trial and gaining the Parental's approval, Loki had brought her to the top of one of the towers for a break. From up here, he pointed out various sights of interest of his family home. The distant nebulae in the area were all shades of green, which sort of gave the appearance of a forest in the distance. Sort of.

"They're different, but they mean well. Welcome to the family, Lucy," Loki echoed, grinning.

Lucy threw her head back and laughed as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Cake? Really? I was preparing to do some...temple robbing, demon slaying...ridiculous stuff, you know. But cake, that's fine too."

"When Dem, my brother, brought the Aries girl home, Dad made her bake enough cakes to feed an army," said Loki, shaking his head as he buried his face in her hair. "He only asked you to make one thing. He must really like you."

"I hope so," said Lucy. She leaned into his body, exhaling. She was relieved that it had went well; for a minute, she was absolutely sure that Ren would have blasted the two of them into bits.

Loki lifted her chin up, kissing her lips softly. His scent was intoxicating to Lucy; she picked up woody notes from his cologne, clean linen from his shirt, and something that was just absolutely masculine. His lips pressed against hers, gently but with purpose until her lips parted. Lucy smiled a bit as she kissed him back, thinking back to sandy beaches and mountain cabins.

Taking her smile as a green light, Loki's fingers moved their attention from her hips to the buttons on her top. As the first button slipped open, Lucy felt her breath hitch. The second opened just as easy. Just as Loki went for the third button, Lucy felt a bit spontaneous. She quickly leaned her body to the left to nibble his ear. A microsecond later, she felt something whizz past her face. A nanosecond after that, she felt Loki recoil.

"What the-" screamed Lucy, reaching out as Loki staggered backwards. There was an ebony arrow embedded in his shoulder; golden blood flowed freely from the wound which was exactly where her head had been moments before. She reached out as Loki fell to the ground.

* * *

Cliffhangers and Daddy issues! Oh dear. But anyway, hello dear readers, this **A/N** will be a semi-long one:

Ichi - Pleiades Sisters. Aka the 7 sisters, part of the Taurus constellation Called 'Subaru' in Japan. YAY random knowledge of the day! Actually, if you guys have noticed, I've named most of my characters after stars in Constellations except for Priscilla. I don't know why! I should have...but Priscilla was one of the most...deceivingly delicate yet evil names I could think of. No offense to anyone actually named Priscilla out there...I'm sure you're really nice. ^^

Ni -Because someone asked me: I spell Loki with an 'i' because when I first started reading FT, thats how they translated his name. It changed to an 'e' later on and idk, it seems weird to me! Loke.

San - Hopefully this helps: The House of Leo consists of Ren (Head) and Stella and their three children, Den, Loki, and Epsi.

- Den: Oldest. Short for Denebola, the Lion's Tail (real star). Bonded with an Aries sister when Loki didn't bond with Priscilla. Calmer than Loki.  
- Epsi: Youngest. (female) Short for...Epsilon (Leonis, real star). Fiesty.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Lucy was in slow-motion. She was caught in a lunge, frozen in the moment. Drops of blood glistened in mid-air as she pushed herself forward, never getting any closer to Loki's falling body. The ebony arrow embedded in his shoulder gleamed brightly as she blinked.

Suddenly, she gasped and things started to move again; except this time things were happening way too fast. She didn't even realize that she had screamed until she heard the echo off the stone walls. And now, her hands were sticky with golden blood.

Big hands pulled her away; Ren's hands. In an instant, Stella swooped into the vacant space next to her son's body. With a quick, practiced motion, she snapped the end of the arrow off, murmuring powerful words. Lucy snapped back to reality as Stella's hands began to glow. One hand seemed to cauterize the wound and the other screwed the arrowhead out. Loki was conscious during the entire process. His limbs flexed and he gasped in pain but he somehow managed not to move.

"There," said Stella, holding up the two halves, "It's done."

The arrowhead was long, sharp, and serrated while the black shaft was fletched with raven feathers. Lucy had never seen a more sinister looking weapon. But perhaps the most sinister part of it was the faint trace of a liquid on the metal. It was mixed with Loki's blood but Lucy could make out a bright green, sickly looking substance on the arrowhead's edges. As she curiously extended one hand towards the arrow, Ren quickly pulled her back.

"No, Lucy. The arrow was poisoned. The effects are extremely painful to Spirits but it would be fatal to a human."

Timidly, Lucy looked up. "So they were...aiming for me?"

"Most likely, my dear," said Stella with a tired sigh. "This kind of arrow is used by only one House; that of Hydra. They would be the only ones stupid enough to accept a contract to kill off a Celestial Spirit mage. At the House of Leo, nonetheless."

Ren clenched his fists. "Who would hire these fools to attempt such a thing?!"

Wincing as he propped himself up, Loki spat. "Oh, I think I could think of someone."

Lucy quickly moved to help him up. To her surprise, he stood up, although he still needed to lean on her for some support. She glanced at the wound and exhaled in relief as she saw that it had been closed. There was a faint x-shaped scar on his skin; it looked like Loki would have it forever. Even now, she was still amazed of the wonders of Celestial magic...and the durability of her Spirits.

"So, what do we do now? Track this guy down?" said Lucy.

Ren closed his eyes and Lucy felt a pulse of power roll off of him. "He's not in our territory anymore. Son of a bitch's probably light years away if he knows whats good for him."

Smiling warmly, Stella strode forward to squeeze the shoulders of her son. "Loki, your father and I will handle the assassin," she said. Her words were cheerful but her eyes were as sharp as steel. "I think you and Lucy have something better to do. Don't you?" She winked.

"Why yes," said Loki, a faint grin on his face. "...I think we do."

* * *

Thankfully, Loki had the strength to pull the pair to the far reaches of Leo territory. There were halfway up a mountain and she could see the House silhouetted by the setting sun in the distance. Lucy still wasn't used to phasing in and out of space; the feeling of her heart plummeting to the ground still made her uneasy. She willed herself to suck it up as two of them hobbled up a hill.

"Your mom reminds me of Mira," said Lucy, who watched twin comets shoot up from the Leo complex. They streaked off into the distance before she could take another breath.

Loki chuckled. "Yep, they'd definitely hit it off. My mother is probably one of the nicest people I know, but like Mira, she's also one of the fiercest. In battle, she uses a broadsword. It's very fearsome."

"She's definitely a good person to have in your corner," said Lucy as they came to an offshoot of the path. 20 or 30 feet down the way, there was a nice, comfortable nook in the rock that seemed perfect to kick back and relax on. She was surprised to find cushions and blankets already tucked into the space.

"This is another place where I go to just...get away," said Loki, easing himself down with Lucy's help. In response to her teasing expression, he said, "Yeah, I needed space to think. A lot. I was a...very volatile kid. My childhood was rather dramatic, if you can't tell."

Lucy snorted as she settled herself down. Dramatic? That was a bit of an understatement. "Yep, I definitely get that."

They settled in to a comfortable silence. Loki's good arm leisurely rested on her shoulders as the other lay propped up by spare cushions. Lucy listened to his heartbeat. It may have been a little too much love story cliche but Lucy really did enjoy the sound that it made. It was strong and even. She sighed contently. Why couldn't every day be just like this? The sky was painted in deep oranges and reds from the sunset while the stars were just starting to twinkle; it was beautiful. She wished she could hold onto this moment forever.

"Did you know," said Loki, breaking the silence, "...that the first time I saw you, I felt three very distinct things."

"Three things?" said Lucy, turning to look at him quizzically. "Let me guess." She held up three fingers and with her best impression of love-struck Loki, she said, "Enthralled at my beauty, captivated by my personality, and awestruck by my amazing talent with Celestial Keys. Am I right?"

"No. I was terrified and I felt rather panicked." He was very matter-of-fact. "But yes, rather awestruck at your potential. Even then, I could tell you'd be a great mage. You just didn't know it then."

Lucy's face dropped. "That's not very romantic at all! But I guess I'll take the third one." She made a face. "Anything else you remember?"

"One thing: I knew you'd play a role in shaping my future. I was sure of it, but I just didn't know how." He grinned, his lips grazing the back of her palm. "And I don't think I ever expected to fall irrevocably in love with you."

Lucy couldn't help but blush yet she playfully fired back. "What about me? I never thought that I'd fall for you either, Mister-Clammy-Hands-When-He-Gets-100-Feet-Of-Me. And then you turned into lovesick over-the-top stalker boyfriend."

It was Loki's turn to make a face. "Ouch. That stings, you know."

"But," said Lucy, holding up her hand, "From the first time I saw you, I knew you were good. Even with the harem of girlfriends, the nonchalant, too-cool behavior. I knew you had a good heart."

"...I wonder how they're doing? Leslie and Mika. Jamie, Aya, Sydney...Maya and Jordan..." Loki counted off on his fingers, absent mindedly. "Oh! And you can't forget about Lara and Jennifer. Twin redheads and both of them were gifted with the best r- - -"

Lucy's glare was so concentrated, it was practically a laser beam trained right between his eyes. Yet, from years of honing, Loki's girlfriend defense was strong; It barely affected him.

"What?" He held his hands out. "It'd be a crime not to appreciate their blessings."

"Are you kidding me?" she deadpanned.

Loki burst out laughing. "Well obviously! But not really, those two. Perfection. And 100% natural too. You could squ-" A pillow hit him squarely in the face.

Lucy was not amused.

"Alright, alright. It was a joke! But it's not funny. I got it." Loki gingerly slipped his arms around her waist, his defense effectively negating the daggers that her glare continued to throw at him. "So to cheer you up..."

With an exaggerated flourish, Loki produced the ancient contract; rolling it out in front of her. He kissed her cheek as he presented her with a fountain pen.

"What. No fireworks?" playfully teased Lucy.

"Nah. Then you would have known. I thought girls like it better when these things are a surprise," He said, winking. He put the scroll down to take both of her hands in his. "Lucy, dearest. I promise that I'll always have your back, no matter what. I promise - -"

Lucy's eyes teared up as she smiled. "Loki, stop. You don't have to, I'll sign it."

"Wait, hear me out," he said, grinning as he squeezed her hands. "We're partners and we were made to become a pair. It might have taken a couple centuries for us to find each other, but it was meant to be. I know it. I promise that I'll be there for you, whether it be an alleyway of thugs that need taking down or your crazy hormonal mood swings. I'll be there for you no matter what. With ice cream, since that's the only thing that helps."

"The thugs will get ice cream too?" Lucy laughed. Her face was starting to hurt from smiling so much but she didn't care.

"Of course! Everyone loves ice cream and I'm a generous guy." Laughing, Lucy shook her head at his audacity. "But anyway, all I'm trying to say is...Lucy, I love you. If you'll have me, my heart and soul are yours. Forever. Will you sign this contract with me?"

Lucy grinned, a little impishly. "Wait, now it's my turn. Loki...I promise that I'll look the other way when your tie is extremely unfashionable - - -"

"What? Me, unfashionable?!"

"And I promise that I'll be patient when you take three times as long as I do getting ready."

"It was only. Thirty. Minutes."

"I promise that I will be respectful of the fact that you have way more shoes then I will ever have."

"...now you're having too much fun."

Lucy's smile was angelic. " Before you, I never really believed in 'soul mates.' I thought...you just go out there, find someone you get along well enough with and that's all there is to it. But with you, Loki, it's different. We click and it feels...it feels wonderful. I haven't felt this about anyone else, human or spirit, and I know that I'll never feel this way about anyone else. You're my soul mate. I love you too."

Without another word, Loki signed his name in a graceful flourish. As he handed the pen to her, the brief contact of skin was electric and Lucy's mind did a quick flashback of their history. Awkwardly meeting in the guild hall. Their first embrace at that inn. United before the Spirit King. Washed up at the beach. Holding hands at the lake.

Her eyes found the dotted line where she'd sign her soul away and her heart fluttered. Without any hesitation, she began to sign. Just as she signed the last letter of her name, the golden text on the paper began to glow brighter and brighter until she could barely stand to look at the shining document. Loki's hands found hers as Lucy felt a warmth blossom in her chest. The warmth spread until she felt it tingling in her fingers and toes- - -it was painful but it was strangely pleasurable at the same time. Just as the feeling threatened to overwhelm and consume her, it suddenly shrank; throbbing three times in her heart before fading out into nothing.

Lucy gasped, her hand flying to rest over her heart. "Wow," she said, breathing heavy, "What was that?"

Loki was also breathing hard. "That, my dear...is power." He slipped the heavy ring off of Lucy's finger and stood up before she could protest; his injury had seemingly disappeared all together. He raised his jeweled fist to the sky and softly uttered, "Regulus. Adtono."

Light burst out of the ring and traced the seal of his House into the twilight sky. It was mesmerizingly beautiful yet Lucy could feel the sheer pressure exerted by such a powerful spell. Suddenly, the seal turned bright white, exploding with a deafening boom. Lucy shielded her eyes...but the booms continued. Peeking out behind her hand, she saw that the night sky was full of...fireworks for as far as the eye could see.

"Well, you _did_ want fireworks, didn't you?" said Loki, easing back into his seat. "And now, thanks to this power of this contract, I can do crazy big things like this! Aren't you excited?"

"...No comment," said Lucy, who already knew where this was going. She was caught halfway in a wincing expression when Loki snapped his fingers and the words "LOKI AND LUCY FOREVER XOXOXOXOXO" traced themselves in shimmering gold and silver. Each letter was at least three stories tall.

"...You and I are going to have a little talk."

* * *

Priscilla leisurely took a sip of a White Lily martini as she lounged in her open-air Commander's tent. Soldiers from her house milled around her as they prepped for battle yet even in a long, shimmering, low-cut white dress, Priscilla did not look out of place.

"My lady, the first wave is approaching. ETA 2 hours," said one of her Captains as he knelt before the tent. The coiled horns of his helmet glistened in the sunlight as he gave his report with purpose.

"Are the outer barricades up?" she sighed. She sounded bored but the Captain was smart enough to ignore it.

"Yes, my lady. I'll send out the perimeter teams to set up the shrapnel traps."

Draining her glass, Priscilla stood up and strode out of the tent. Her dress glistened in the light also; the Captain noticed that she was not wearing cloth but instead, his Commander wore a dress of extremely fine chain-mail. The links were smaller than the size of a pea. "No. You will do no such thing." Her tone had suddenly turned steely and authoritative. "Instead, you will accompany me to the front lines."

"...The front lines, my lady. It's dangerous! For your safety, I can't - - -"

"That is an _order_, Captain," barked Priscilla. Her features were as cold as ice. "The front lines. Immediately." Her lips curled up in a cruel smile. "I have work to do."

* * *

**A/N: **Adtono. Blast. I know it may not be 'canon' with the FT story, but I rather like it when he uses Latin for his spells! ^^


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Lucy was nervous. She sat in front of an embellished silver mirror, braiding her hair. Braids were practical, right? Her usual loose, flowing hair might get in the way during battle.

'Battle' rolled very awkwardly off Lucy's tongue. So did 'war' and 'chain mail' but here she was; prepping to go to war with a set of borrowed armor stacked on the bed behind her. She took a steadying breath as she tied off the ends of her braid. She had plenty of experience with 'fight,' 'mission', and 'skirmish,' right? It would have to do.

Hearing a soft knock at the door, she turned to see Loki stride in. He had traded in his shirt and jeans for a study pair of pants, molded metal greaves, and a close-fitting black tank.

"Not what I was expecting," said Lucy, pinning her bangs out of the way.

"...You were expecting..."

Lucy shrugged. "When you said armor, I was thinking...like a knight. Wearing something clunky yet shining. And riding a white horse."

"Clunky? Are you kidding?" He came over to playfully pinch her sides. "First of all, I'm all about speed. My chestpiece is light too. Second, chrome is tacky. And third, who says I don't have a horse?" He leaned over to flirtatiously nip at her ear.

"Knowing you, your 'horse' would be...a pearl white Ferrari."

"Damn straight." Loki grinned as he sat at the foot of the bed. "So? Does it fit? I told our forces to expect us in 15 minutes."

"...I haven't tried it on yet," said Lucy, doubtfully examining her reflection. "And I'm not really sure how to put it on."

"Your 'big sister' never showed you how?"he teased, pulling his Master out of her chair, "I'm surprised; Erza is the queen of all things armor."

Lucy made a face as she sat down, visually cataloging the many pieces of Erza's standard set of armor. "I would die under the weight of all of her gear. It looks so...heavy."

Loki nodded. "Agreed. Which is why I grabbed Epsi's extra set of light armor. I'm absolutely positive that you can manage it. Now, let's start from the bottom."

He eased her feet into a set of supple, dark brown leather boots. They laced up to her knee and on her shins, he buckled on a pair of greaves similar to his own except this pair were trimmed with moonstone. "This armor was forged with Celestial Quicksilver alloy. The recipe is a House secret," said Loki, adjusting the fit. "It's lighter then Celestial iron and stronger too."

"Oh thank goodness," said Lucy, experimentally lifting her feet. With her lower limbs armored, it felt no heavier then wearing a pair of 5 inch platform heels. She could definitely manage.

"Alright! Now for the rest." He pulled her to stand so that he could adjust the cotton shirt she was already wearing. As he fixed the ties at her neck and sides, his fingers lingered near her waist. They stood inches apart as his hands caressed the outline of her figure, trailing upwards to her chest.

Almost instantaneously, their lips met and they crashed onto the mattress behind them. This was a different sort of passion; there was no thinking, it was all reflex and urgency. Tops were hastily pulled off and metal greaves clanked together noisily as Lucy nibbled on his lower lip before pulling him in, kissing him deeply. He responded by kissing a line from her collarbone downwards. Just as his deft fingers unhitched her pants button, a loud, amplified voice suddenly echoed through the House. "Prince, 5 minute warning."

It was so unexpected, both of them were startled. Lucy jumped, painfully bumping her forehead on his chin while Loki jammed his hand on the hard edge of a piece of Epsi's armor. Before they knew it, they were awkwardly tangled in a heap of silver metal and golden blond hair.

"That was...not nearly how I imagined it," said Loki, wincing as he shrugged off a chest plate.

"It's alright," said Lucy. She smiled, affectionately brushing the hair out of face.

He paused for a moment, gazing down on her face. She was his light, his heart and soul, his everything. And yet, he was about to plunge her into a battle that could be the end of her - the end of them both. He hated that he had to put her in danger but it' was something that they had to do. There was no other way.

"I wish...I could have given you more," he confessed, his words almost a whisper. "This could be the last five minutes we ever have together. Alone...or otherwise. I wanted to give you everything."

Lucy smiled. "You have, Loki. I have you. How could I ask for more? If we die in the next hour, I can honestly say that I've lived a damn good life. No regrets."

Loki sighed, deeply. "This is depressing."

Sighing as well, Lucy pulled him up and placed a gleaming shoulder plate into his hands. "I know, but we've got a war to win, don't we?"

"You're right. Just promise me that at the end, you'll give me a whole day. An entire day. For you," his hands caressed his waist.

Lucy smiled bigger this time. "Deal."

* * *

One would think that Spirits were chaotic beings, free to do whatever they wanted with no rules and limitations. However, this was not so. Spirits were rather organized beings. This was very clear in the way that they had arranged their armies. Each of the 12 Houses had assembled a formation so that a perfect semi-circle of warriors was formed, facing the dark wave of approaching evil, which would collide with the Spirits within the next 10 minutes. In the dead center was a small hill and to this, Priscilla strode.

Actually, 'strode' wasn't the right term, thought the Aries Captain who had accompanied his Princess to the front lines. He observed her from the Aries block. It was more like...wobbling or stumbling. In his entire life, he had never seen Priscilla be anything other then severe, proud, and haughty. Yet here she was, dragging her feet. It was so uncharacteristic of her...yet she was still wearing that mesmerizing chain-link dress. As she made her way to the hill, eyes were instantly drawn to her until she had the attention of the entire delegation.

"Brothers, Sisters," said Priscilla. Her voice was soft and unsure yet held the attention of every Spirit, "We are about to go to war with an enemy of the likes that we've never seen. Their number is so great, the war room of the House of Aries has predicted that even with our forces combined, we might not survive the initial onslaught."

Desperate murmurs echoed through the ranks while the Captain's eyes narrowed. This was a lie. The strategists had predicted a stale-mate...which wasn't necessarily the best news but it was still a better scenario then the falsities the Princess was spewing.

"However," she continued, her posture bent, "If the Prince of the House of Leo, and I are bonded, we will have the power to turn the tide! Our strength and might will push back these invaders and crush them!" Her spine lengthened as the cheers from the crowd grew louder. "We will all live. Our families will be protected. But..."

She stooped over suddenly, then looked up. Her face was heartbroken as her hands flew to the part of her chest where her heart should have been. "A witch has stolen him from me. A human mage, a girl," she moaned, her voice anguished and wavering, "He no longer recognizes that I'm his true love." The murmurs grew angry as her tone turned hard and cruel. "A long time ago, we were there for you. Loki and I stood together and brought peace. Now, it is your turn to repay the favor. He will show up today, in the battle...and she will be with him. If you want to live, you will kill this girl and bring her head to me on a stake. Loki will finally be free and this battle will. Be. Ours."

As she raised her fist in the air, an ivory sword appeared in her palm. There was a second flash of light and she was suddenly outfitted with brilliant white armor. It sparkled like diamonds as the crowd roared with her. "12 Houses!" she bellowed, facing the oncoming tide, "To me!"

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Lucy willed herself to stand as straight as she could. She and Loki were in a huge room with the last Leo battalion to head out. She was surrounded by proud warriors wielding all sorts of nasty weaponry and even though she was fully armored, she was sure that she stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone was facing a giant double door that took up an entire wall so Lucy stared at it also.

"Almost ready? We're going in a minute or two," said Loki, threading his way through the crowd to her.

"As ready as ever," she said as fiercely as she could. The phrase, 'What would Erza do' played on repeat endlessly through her mind.

"That's my girl." He grinned, taking his place besides her. "Oh! Before I forget, this is for you. I was going to give it to you for your birthday but it looks like it'll be way more handy now rather then later."

He handed Lucy a whip; she gasped as soon as she saw it. If it was in awe or apprehensive, she wasn't sure. The entire thing was golden - - from the ruby encrusted handle to diamond shaped blade at the end. Deep emerald stitching wove itself over all 12 feet of the weapon. The gold combined with red and green made Lucy think of a very...gaudy and opulent Christmas.

"It's a bit over the top, but it sure is...unique?," she said as appreciatively as she could. As she gripped the coil, she decided that perhaps it wasn't so bad. The balance on the weapon was perfect.

"One of my aunts, who had questionable taste but was a master smith, forged it herself. From tentacles and energy crystals of all things. (Lucy nearly dropped the whip. Tentacles? Eww!) It's ridiculously strong, but it's got a strange name. Its called, 'Save the Queen.'"

"That's...nice" Lucy grimaced. _Tentacles?!_

All of a sudden, the double doors began to glow at the edges and the room echoed with the bellow of a deep horn. The soldiers in the room readied themselves.

"Stick with me," said Loki. His voice was firm yet Lucy found it very reassuring. He murmured something softly and a crackling blade of light formed in his ring hand. "I've got your back."

Lucy nodded. "And I've got yours. Always."

The light grew brighter and brighter until the doors slammed open with a heavy crash. As Lucy shut her eyes, she felt herself being sucked through the doors like they were a vacuum. Her heart dropped as it felt like she was falling aimlessly in space...until she opened her eyes and gasped. She was suddenly in the middle of a battlefield. Weapons clanged together as Spirits and Shadow creatures battled. A four-legged dog creature with three eyes set its eyes on Lucy; she cracked her new whip right on the middle eye and it vanished into a cloud of dark smoke.

"Take that!" she cried triumphantly. She turned...and cringed as she discovered that she was being stalked by four more of those foul creatures. They grinned at her, showing three rows of drooling teeth. Reading her whip, she prepared to face them all at once, until a golden flash bounced between her assailants. Four heads instantly toppled to the ground before dissolving.

"See? It's all about speed." said Loki, shaking purple blood of his blade as he came to stand next to her, "And fact of the day: the more teeth they have, the more vicious they are."

"What, you don't think I could have taken them? I'm pretty good with whips, you know."

"I know. But three rows of teeth! That'd shred you faster then a-" Loki was cut off as he pulled Lucy out of the path of a large red scythe. It swung back in a long arc, to the young Scorpio knight who wielded it.

"What the hell," exclaimed Loki, protectively shielding his Master, "Are you blind? There are plenty of shadows to kill, we aren't your enemy."

"You aren't, Prince," said the knight, "But she is."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "...Me? I'm just a - -"

"Human! A witch!" the knight shouted, "Once I take care of you, they'll bond and we'll all live. Priscilla put a price on your head and I will be the one to deliver it to her!" With a battle cry, he raised his weapon. As he took his first step, Loki quickly appeared behind the knight, bashing a discarded shield on the young man's head. The knight collapsed on the ground in a heap.

"So. Not only did she rally the forces against the enemy, she's also rallied them against us. How thoughtful of her," said Lucy, her fists balled up.

"Yep, that's Priscilla for you," Loki sighed. He searched around until he found a forgotten helmet that would fit Lucy and slipped it onto her head. "If the rest of the Houses are after us, you'll need a disguise. We need to get to the front lines, prove ourselves, and then they'll rally behind us. Good plan?"

Lucy tapped her helmet. "I love it."

Suddenly, Loki grabbed her shoulders, pulling her in for perhaps their last kiss. For a moment, it felt as if they had been pulled into their own private universe. Lucy forgot she was holding a weapon and revelled in the firm press of his lips against hers, the smell of leather and slight cologne. The beat of their hearts was the only sound they could hear.

All too quickly, the sounds of the battlefield clanged loudly as they pulled apart. Lucy looked into his eyes and promised herself that she'd never forget the golden flecks in them. "I'm...ready," she said breathlessly.

"Good," he said, smiling as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb. There was a bit of sadness in his eyes but he was determined. They both were. "Let's do this."

* * *

**A/N: **Anyone out there play FF8? The Save the Queen! :D And sorry this one is particularly late, I moved and just got my internet back. Hurray!


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